The Successors: Kate and Humphrey
by CutestOmega
Summary: The sequel to The Successors: Garth and Lilly! Now, the heirs to the Head-Alphas face a murder mystery that threatens everyone in Jasper Park. Can Hayden and Jake catch the cruel murderer before he/she kills someone they love?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Ok! The sequel to Garth and Lilly's Successors story is here! And here's a head's up: this chapter is basically a prologue. It is the only chapter that takes place before Garth and Lilly. **

Kate loved her family. It was so perfect. She was reminded of it as her mate, Humphrey played with their pups in the snow surrounding their den. Kate smiled, wanting to just jump into the fun. But she was tired from hunting for her family. The snow had come early this season, so it had been twice as much work to hunt as before. Also, tomorrow she would be traveling to Alpha School to teach her pups and other packs' pups to be Alphas, so she needed to rest.

Humphrey rolled on his back as Hayden pounced on his belly, and tried to tickle him. Leah tried to chew on her father's forepaw while Jake sat a few steps away. He was focused on his father's tail, preparing to pounce.

Kate sighed, putting her head on her paws. She remembered telling her family how only a few of them could be Alphas and one or two would be Omegas. Considering Kate was born an Alpha, she wanted more of her pups to be Alphas then Omegas. But one would still have to be the low-ranking comedian.

Luckily, the decision wasn't messy. Kate and Humphrey both wanted Leah to be an Alpha. The oldest pup needed the Alpha School's discipline to fix her temper.

But the younger pups, Jake and Hayden, had a more interesting affair. Jake had a lean, muscular build, which was typical for an Alpha. Hayden was clumsy and small for her age. An ideal Omega. But when Jake overheard his parents talking about this, he told them that he wanted his sister to go to Alpha School instead of him. Apparently some wolves would pick on Hayden, and unaware all pups of Head-Alphas became Head-Alphas, he wanted her to become an Alpha, so they'd learn to respect her.

Kate smiled, feeling blessed to have such a thoughtful son. She told herself he inherited it from his dad. And Leah, with her temper—

Eve. Without a doubt.

And Hayden was like Kate's sister, Lilly. Shy and small for her size. Kate didn't know how she felt about Hayden going to Alpha School instead of Jake. Could Hayden pull off the alpha acrobats and responsibility?

_It doesn't matter! _Kate shook her head. _Jake refuses to go instead of his sister. And maybe he's right. After all, I don't want Hayden to be bullied._

"Gosh, those little ones are so cute." Kate nearly leaped out of her pelt with surprise when Humphrey came up beside her and sat down. He was panting. "But they really know where to hit ya where it tickles, if you know what I mean," he winked at her.

Kate laughed. "That's why you should do what I do. Lie when they ask you where you're most ticklish."

"I wish I was that smart," Humphrey flicked his tail.

The two wolves watched their pups playing with a pair of squirrels, Leah trying to ask them if the berries they had were stolen from her Aunt Janice and Aunt Reba.

Humphrey turned to Kate. "Whatcha thinking about?"

"Tomorrow," she confessed. She raised her head a few inches to look at her mate. "How did we end up having such a sweet pup like Jake?"

Humphrey shrugged. "Hey, he's your pup. Of course he's going to be all responsible and stuff."

"But should we let Hayden go?" Kate lowered her voice, so the pups wouldn't hear. "She's pretty small for her age and Jake has more…I don't know, agility?"

"Hey, he doesn't want his sister to get picked on. And I'm not showing favoritism to my pups or anything, but Hayden's really smart. Sure, she doesn't look like an ideal athlete, but I'd rather have an Alpha who can think with her head, not with her opportunity to do a fancy flip."

"You make a good point, Humphrey," Kate blinked.

"Thank you," Humphrey pricked his ears, not used to having that sentence and his name together. "If you think about it, Hayden will grow into her pelt, but Jake will never have as much logic as her. I don't doubt them. It's Leah I'm worried about."

"Humphrey, we talked about this. Leah needs the discipline."

"I agree. But it's not Leah I'm worried about, it's you! She's a tough, smart-mouthed pup!"

"Oh stop joking like that Humphrey!" Kate chastised. "She's a good girl."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Humphrey stood up. "But if you're going to have two of our pups to yourself for a whole winter, I'm going to save the moments!"

And with that, Humphrey padded towards his pups who wolf-piled him almost instantly.

Kate sighed. Humphrey made a lot of jokes about his pups, but he was a good dad.

_My family is the best one I could wish for_, Kate thought for the fifteenth time all day.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Kate left for Alpha School, along with Garth, Troy, Leah, and Hayden. The good-byes took a while, since this year was one of the biggest classes the Western and Eastern wolves had. Then all the young Alphas and the parents that volunteered to teach left to the Alpha School territory, where wolves from not just Jasper Park, but wherever that was close by would gather and train the youngsters.<p>

The winter went by, and things ran smoothly. Kate was nervous about teaching, but the fact that her main students were her own daughters made things a bit easier. She trained them the way she remembered her parents trained her and felt proud of her girls as both a mother, and a teacher. She even learned how to use stories to help Hayden with learning her flips.

So the season passed by, and soon it was nearing the end of winter. There were only a few weeks left, and all the students were excited to return to their packs as young adult Alphas.

Hayden was also counting down the days until they went home. She was usually a selfless female, but couldn't help but feel proud of herself for returning to her pack and rubbing her new skills in the noses of her now Omega tormentors.

Leah was still sassy, but was better at responsibilities and seemed to have matured like Kate and Humphrey had hoped. She especially enjoyed having her sister as a hunting partner. She couldn't wait until her Head-Alpha training started so that she could help give Jake pointers and hunt with him.

Now if you thought about it, both of them couldn't stop talking about going home. They missed their Omega friends and family, but were really excited. Leah really looked forward to leading the pack. She trained for hard and long hours to perfect everything, even though it was all just simple stuff. She didn't know there was a bunch of new Head-Alpha moves that she would learn and these would look like simple squirrel chases in comparison.

Today was a review over hunting techniques. These took place in separate places throughout the territory. Leah, Hayden, and a friend Hayden had made, Lyra, were practicing in the same hunting team. Leah, being the oldest, was leading. Because two out of three of them were a future Head-Alpha to their pack, they were assigned moose, which was tougher for wolves their age, considering they were bigger than caribou.

The young females crouched in the snow, waiting as Leah studied the assigned prey. She had heard moose tended to have a blind spot, and was trying to figure out where it was so they could use it to their advantage. However, it was easy for her to take her time, since her fur was a light gray color, with white where her mother had white and white socks on her legs. Lyra was a light cream color, which blended with the snow, but only when the sun was hitting her. Hayden was the most nervous about hiding, since she had her mother's gold fur, her father's black ears, and a gray patch over one of her brown eyes.

Leah crawled forward a few inches. "Psst! Lyra, Hayden," she hissed to her teammates. "I think I have a plan. Lyra, you go around the moose and frighten it. Hayden, you and I will take it by surprise and kill when it comes for us."

The other two nodded. Lyra crawled around the two sisters, trying not to send too much snow sliding. Since the moose was searching for food and not actually feeding, it was less distracted.

Lyra leaped out of seemingly nowhere, pretending to attack the moose's left flank. The large animal panicked, rearing on its hind legs and making a moose-screaming noise. It whirled around on its hind paws and charged towards where Hayden and Leah were crouched in hiding.

Leah hadn't realized how heavy this particular moose was. She got scared, and force of habit made her jump out of the way.

That was her mistake.

Hayden yelped with surprise as she was nearly trampled and scrambled backwards. The two sisters saw their prey run off. It halted, hearing the sounds of another group successfully making their own kill. Getting freaked out, Leah and Hayden's moose turned around again and ran back the way it had come, yelling as it did. The moose's cries were heard by some other moose that no one had been assigned to kill. They all assumed the crying moose was close by. If he was close, than so would the danger. The small group ran away from the invisible danger, looking for their distressed friend.

Leah saw the first panicked animal before her sister did. "Lyra-Lyra run! Now!" she yelled.

Her tone made Lyra feel scared, making her freeze. Lyra stumbled, but eventually managed to run away.

"Hayden! Hayden?" Leah looked around for her littermate. She gasped. A foot or two behind the moose they were supposed to kill were its friends. It wasn't a whole herd, eight or nine at the most, but it looked like a lot at the moment.

Something gold flew over Leah's head.

"Hayden!"

The first moose had kicked her little sister!

Hayden landed on her side many feet away from her sister. Her eyes were closed and she didn't move.

Leah whimpered.

The group of moose were about to pass by her. Leah decided to act quickly to save her sister. She started running, the first frightened herbivore almost right on top of her tail.

All logical thoughts left Leah's head. Hayden raised her head and shook it, looking dazed and confused when Leah jumped on top of her, covering her body almost completely.

The first moose didn't bother jumping over them. It probably didn't see them. Its hooves hit Leah right on the small of her back. She yelped with pain. She only had a few seconds before the rest would come, and Hayden knew it.

"Leah! You'll be killed!" Hayden yelled over the sound of thundering hooves. "You need to get off me!"

Leah only shook her head. Two more moose hit the back of her head and neck.

"Leah! Please get off!" Hayden pleaded desperately as she watched more hooves pound on her sister. "I might get away in time, and even if I don't you need to let go of me!"

Leah looked at her sister sadly.

"Let me go, Leah," Hayden gave one last plea.

Leah started breathing hard, her eyes tearing up.

Maybe Hayden was right. Leah had to have faith they could both get out of there in time. Leah braced herself to run from that spot as fast as she could until—

The oldest sister let out a high-pitched howl of pain as one moose hit her right on top of her head. "_Nooo!_" Hayden wailed as Leah went limp on top of her.

Three or four more hooves beat up Leah before the mass of snow cleared away. All that was visible was the light gray and white fur, something trying to escape from underneath it. Hayden squirmed and wriggled, finally managing to crawl out from underneath the limp body.

"Leah!" Hayden looked at Leah's bruised form. "Oh no, Leah, no! It can't be!"

"Hayden!" That was Kate! Kate was running towards her pups, Lyra following close behind. "Hayden! Leah! Are you alright? Lyra said you were in trouble!"

Hayden didn't want to face her mother. She couldn't. It was her fault this happened to Leah!

Hayden backed away, whimpering. She flattened her ears and tucked her tail between her legs as Kate approached. Hayden panicked. She whirled around and ran.

_If only I had been quicker to get out of the way! Both_ _me_ and _Leah would've escaped in time. Or if I was stronger, I could've pushed her off of me and taken those blows myself!_

Hayden started to cry as she heard her mother's heartbroken wail that echoed in her ears. She flattened her ears, trying to block it out. She closed her eyes as she cried harder.

And that was how she ran into somebody. She heard her surprised yelp mixed with a male wolf's.

A huge headache greeted Hayden. She shook her head and opened her eyes to find herself on the ground. Her cousin, Troy was close by, rubbing his nose. It looked like her head left a tiny bruise. Behind him were some friends he had made with their kill. The two Northerners were a brown and white wolf named Nick and jet-black Justin.

"Hayden!" Troy complained. "Look when you run! What's the hurry anyway?"

Hayden didn't get up. She just looked at her aunt's pup with watery eyes.

Troy noticed this and all humor went away from his expression. "Hayden? What's wrong? Where's Leah? Is that Aunt Kate crying…?"

Hayden only replied with a sniffle.

Troy looked at his friends and signaled with his head to take their assignment to their trainer. Once they were walking in the opposite direction, he tried to comfort his cousin by nuzzling the tears away. "Hayden…?"

Hayden decided she had no one else she could say it to. She sniffled and took a few loud, shaky breaths before finding a voice.

"It's my fault…" she managed.

* * *

><p>They tried not to make the funeral to big a deal. After all, she hadn't even graduated. A few wolves cried, Lyra and Kate said a few words, they howled mournfully, and then Leah was buried where she had been killed.<p>

Kate went back to her home territory to tell the rest of her family the news..

Everyone's reactions were typical. Humphrey, Leah's father, went into denial for an hour or so. Leah's cousin and best friend, Luna, was in denial for the rest of the day. Eve cried for her granddaughter and Winston tried to stay strong for her and Kate. Lilly, who had a son who died at one minute old, had empathy. Hutch, Humphrey's father, did the same thing as Winston.

Garth stayed to help Hayden continue her Alpha lessons for Kate. Hayden claimed she didn't want to leave because it was what Leah and Jake both looked forward for her. She wanted it to be like Leah hadn't died, but he still went easy on her, since her depressed mood made her mess up a few times.

However, it wasn't depression that distracted Hayden. It was the guilt and fear that karma would come to bite her on the tail. She would sometimes have nightmares about Leah being mad and then getting revenge with the one thing Hayden was scared of more than her grandma Eve: water.

You see, near what was called the birthplace of Humphrey's famous log-sledding game, was a waterfall that led to a large lake. Hayden was playing by herself a few days after she first began exploring past her parents' den. She chased one of her Aunt Reba/Aunt Janice's squirrel friends all the way to the waterfall. The squirrel ran for its life up a tree, and Hayden thought she could go up after it (she was a baby pup after all). The tree had a few roots that poked out of the ground and Hayden tripped on one. Of course, where else could she land but in the water? Hayden's fall was about half the waterfall's length, but she was still too young to know how to swim. It took what felt like hours before her father came and fished her out with his teeth in her soggy scruff. Ever since then Hayden believed three things.

1: karma will get you if you scare the living daylights out of another creature.

2: all squirrels would be forever mad at her for starting the bad habit of chasing them at such a young age.

And 3: Every time you fall into a body of water, you'll drown.

Back then, Leah had bitten Hayden's tail every time she ever let her fear of water cloud her thinking. Now, Hayden knew was no different. She allowed herself to move on and not wallow in guilt for the rest of her life.

So Hayden grew into a healthy sized wolf. Her family mourned for Leah for a long while, but let life go on. Hayden graduated Alpha School. She went home pretending like she thought Leah never existed. She would have a nightmare about the event here and there, but she went on with life like everybody else. Jake missed Leah until his heart hurt. But he never regretted letting Hayden go to Alpha School instead of him. He was a funny Omega and was in expert in calming down friends who were panicking. He even once joked, "It's like someone molded my brain to behave like my dad's!"

The siblings grew up with Luna and Troy and had plenty of adventures in Jasper Park. They were satisfied with their lives. And eventually, Kate was satisfied with the family she had again. She had a mate, and two of her pups. Two was better than none right?

Life went on.

But it didn't slow down.

**Dun dun dun! **

**Can't wait to hear what y'all think ofthe cliffhanger. Next chapter should be there already. Merry Christmas fanfic. readers!**


	2. Chapter 2

_One year after prologue. One week after chapter 14 of the Successors: Garth and Lilly._

* * *

><p>Jake must've slept in. The sun hit him right in his face. He yawned and stretched before rolling over. He felt something soft and feathery under his paws. He pricked his ears and was suddenly wide awake, snapping into a sitting up position.<p>

Jake was used to letting Selena sleep in his and Hayden's den until the other wolves found one in Western territory that was big enough for her and her sister, Cheyenne.

What surprised Jake was that she wasn't there. The nest of feathers he and Selena had gathered was empty.

Jake stood up and walked to the entrance of the cave. He blinked, waiting to adjust to the sunlight. He looked around for his…er, friend. She was an Omega, so he knew she wasn't out hunting.

_Log sledding maybe?_ Jake wondered as he began to walk town the path that led from the cave dens to flat ground. _No, I was going to show that to her today._ _Unless, that was what she, Luna and Hayden had been doing yesterday…those cheeky cubs!_

Jake looked around for someone he could ask for Selena's location. His paws somehow brought him to the former border of Southern and Eastern territory. There, there was a stream that had the coldest, purist water in all four territories. Cheyenne was drinking some water and Jake came up to her. Trying not to startle her, Jake slowly walked beside her and drank some water himself. He noticed Cheyenne was looking at the little pink flower across the stream as she drank. Jake tried not to focus on the grave. He sat down and got straight to the point.

"Really getting big, isn't it?" Well, at least he tried to. But when you stare at your friend's boyfriend's grandmother's grave, you can't sound insensitive!

Cheyenne blinked at him. "Do you think the one Luna put on top of Tony is growing at all?" she asked like it was the weather.

Jake hummed an 'I don't know' and shrugged.

"Were you looking for me Jakey?" Cheyenne tilted her head knowingly.

_I wish someone would tell her I hate that nickname!_ "Kind of. I just thought you were the only one who knew where Selena was. I woke up and saw she had left early. Do you know what for?"

Cheyenne paused, reflecting. "I remember she was…oh! She was watching some of the Alphas hunt. You know how she is about the Hunting Valley in the mornings. And it was a lovely morning today before these rain clouds started rolling in."

"Well fall is approaching," Jake pointed out, looking at the sky. "I think I'll join her. Would you like to come with?" Jake offered politely.

Cherry held up a paw and shook her head gently. "Thank you, but no thanks. I already made some plans with Troy, Logan, and Luna. We need to get them done before Logan goes hunting and Troy and Luna have their Head-Alpha lessons."

"Understood," Jake replied, getting to his paws. "See 'ya 'round, Cherry."

The two walked a little deeper into Eastern territory before going two ways. Once she was gone, Jake stomped his paw in the ground. _I can't believe I almost forgot about Head-Alpha lessons today! What responsible Head-Alpha forgets these things?_

Jake would've bitten his own tail if two wolves didn't pass by, and he wanted to look like he was sane.

Once they passed by and said a polite 'good morning,' Jake continued walking towards the Western Hunting Valley and began to say his thoughts aloud. "Well, the lessons don't start until after the noon hunt. I can still hangout with Selena and cancel our log-sledding date—I mean! Uh…play date? Oh, shut up stupid!" Jake scolded himself. "She's just a really close friend, and everybody knows that. Right…?"

Jake decided to just shut his snout until he reached Western territory. He tried to keep his thoughts on casual things. Like, how weird it felt to be able to see Northern and Southern territory and people treat it like no big deal. He liked the whole, 'all Jasper Park packs are united' ordeal, but it still took some getting used to. Especially since force of habit made some wolves bite you for invading what was formally their sole territory.

Jake noticed he was in the Hunting Valley now. Some young Alphas looked like they were practicing hunting for Alpha school. Jake scurried out of their way as they were about to use another unsuspecting Omega as their mock prey.

He climbed up the rock that overlooked the valley. It was hard to do, since it was smooth enough to be any Omega's favorite slide. You could imagine his disappointment when he found he nearly did a back flip of frustration for someone who wasn't at the top.

Jake looked as far as he could see. Nothing but young Alpha pups wrestling a small Omega pup. But Selena's scent was still slightly fresh. She must've just left.

Jake tried to think of where she could've gone. But his Omega brain kept getting distracted by different things.

Finally, Jake heard someone approaching him. He turned to see his grandparents, the retired Head-Alphas, behind him. Eve was plucking what looked like healing herbs a little ways behind. Winston was casually walking up to Jake, giving a friendly smile.

"Morning, Jake," Winston greeted. "What're you up here for?"

"I was looking for my friend Selena," Jake admitted, blushing a bit for confessing he was looking for a _female_ friend. "You?"

"Just thought I'd visit the four territories," Winston replied, sitting down beside his grandson. "Still hard to believe all four packs in Jasper Park are living together, and sharing so much territory. And now that Eve and I are retired, we wanted to take one of those old-timer walks since there aren't any business-like things for us to worry about now.

"And did you say Selena?"

Jake nodded.

"I believe Eve saw her heading towards the Northern area when we were leaving our den just now. She was with some of her North wolf Omega friends, so they must've been up to something important. Perhaps they'd like some help from a male?" Winston added, noticing Jake having conflicting thoughts about going to see her while she was busy.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to check if they need help," Jake reasoned, standing up. "Are their still sightings of wolves outside of Jasper Park?"

Winston nodded, looking upset about the ordeal.

Jake flicked his black ears. He didn't know what to say next. So he decided he should just leave instead of standing in an awkward silence. He said a good morning to Eve as they passed each other before starting to canter towards the Northern territory of Jasper Park.

It took quite a while, especially since Jake chose to take the rock-climbing route into Northern territory (which was the route he wasn't very used to). Once at the top, Jake trotted through the forest area, reaching the huge rock that had so many dips and holes, all the Northern wolves used them as their dens.

Jake studied the rock, looking for Selena and her friends. He was relieved to see they were still of flat ground. He padded over to them, feeling apprehensive when he didn't see Selena among the Omega females. The Northern wolves stopped their giggling and gossiping almost immediately after seeing Jake, making him feel more nervous.

"Um…hi there," Jake dipped his head, feeling embarrassed being with them without Selena beside him. "Have any of you seen where Selena went?"

One female whispered in the ear of another one, which made both of them giggle. The one whose ear had been whispered into stepped forward. "Your sister came by, saying Cheyenne was looking for Sel, so they went to Western territory to find you."

Jake wondered if they had giggled because they were pranking him. But he didn't want to look untrustworthy. He just dipped his head politely and walked back the way he had come. He didn't look back as he heard the high-pitched giggles of the rest of them.

So Jake was walking back to Western territory. It was quiet and dark, since a bunch of dark gray rain clouds covered the autumn sky. Jake didn't mind the rain. Besides, it wasn't cold like the snow.

Once back in the West land, Jake asked the few wolves he passed by if they had seen his sister. None said anything helpful. Jake began to wonder if he should just stand in one place and let Selena find him. It wasn't a bad idea, but Jake knew he would get too bored to stay in the same place too long.

Jake then began to ponder finding Selena the old-fashioned way: howling. He climbed a large cliff that overlooked most of Eastern territory (**where Winston howled for Tony to meet him** **in the movie**). Jake wanted to howl for Selena to meet up with him, but being the dork he was, he chickened out and howled for Hayden to meet him instead.

Luckily, Hayden was still in Western territory. He heard her howl back from near Hunting Valley. Jake climbed down the cliff and sat, waiting for his sister next to the river that used to be the Western/Eastern pack border.

Hayden emerged from the bushes, looking as though she hadn't been carrying out stressful Alpha duties all morning. "Hey, Jake. You called?"

"Hi Hayden," Jake stood up. "You look pretty today. Already asking for a date to the Moonlight Howl perhaps?"

"Only if you'll ask Selena."

"That's a low blow."

Hayden giggled. "Sorry. So," she cleared her throat. "Did you howl for me?"

"Yeah. I heard you were with Selena earlier. Where'd you take her?"

"Well, Cherry said you were looking for her, so I found her in Northern territory and we were on the way to find you, but she saw some Omega pup having trouble with some Alphas, so she stayed to help him out. That's when you howled for me."

_If only I stayed in one place, I would've caught her! _Jake thought, annoyed with the circle of circumstances he was in.

"Thanks for the info, Hayden. I'm gonna go see her. And don't look at me like that!" Jake growled at his sister's smug 'I know-all' look. "I'm just going to see if I can cancel a few plans I made so I can attend our Head-Alpha training."

Jake trotted off, head held high. His pricked ears overheard Hayden mutter, "Sure, sure…"

Jake broke into a run, desperate to escape his seemingly know-it-all of a sister.

He made it back to the Hunting Valley in what felt like a shorter time than usual. Jake saw the Omega pup from earlier, sniffing a flower that had a bee inside of it. The pup was light brown and white with a black tail-tip, ear-tip, and left forepaw.

"Hey, pup," Jake said. "I see those Alphas finally left you alone."

The pup looked up. "Yeah, thanks to that little brown and caramel-colored wolf. She was really helpful. And I think she's been spending too much time with the former Head-Alpha's mate…" the pup's eyes widened.

Jake couldn't bring himself to imagine Selena saying anything like Eve. "Well, do you know where she is now?"

"Well, some white wolf with a red tail showed up and they left in the direction of Southern territory."

_How long is this wild goose chase going to go on? _Jake wailed in his head. So many places to go in one small morning! Jake was tired!

But he couldn't just not show up for his log-sledding date with Sel. She deserved to know why he wasn't going to be there.

Jake sighed and his ears drooped tiredly. He walked towards the Southern territory slowly, knowing once he got there, Luna would probably say she sent Selena somewhere else.

And what do you know? She did.

"Sorry Jake," Luna apologized after he asked for Selena. "Candu came up to us, asking if we'd seen his daughters anywhere. She said she saw them visiting some Eastern males, but Candu didn't know many Eastern places, so Selena offered to help guide him to where she thought they were headed."

Jake felt hopeless and his face expressed despair. Luna felt bad. "But…she did mention something about the Bathtub Cliffs!" she added cheerfully. "Maybe you can meet her there?"

Jake brightened. "Yeah, I can. Thanks Loony!" he called, already bounding towards the landmark that was almost outside of Western territory. He waited until Luna couldn't see him to excitedly sprint there.

_Finally!_ Jake cheered in his head. _Finally, I'll get to see Selena before Head-Alpha lessons. I'm always so tired after them…_

Jake shook his head clear of his thoughts and tried to remain focused on the ground ahead of him.

* * *

><p>Jake was finally walking around the edge of Western territory. He slowed to a trot when he saw a black and white wolf running towards him. It was Delilah, one of Candu's daughters. Jake stopped walking and his ears drooped disappointedly. No doubt, if he asked, she would say Selena wasn't with her.<p>

But Jake's disappointment switched to alarmed when Delilah grew closer. Her ears were flattened with terror and her eyes were huge, and her fur was scruffy, like she had just been in a fight. She skidded to a halt in front of Jake.

"Jake!" she gasped for breath. "Thank Lupus! Where are your parents?"

"I-I don't know," Jake stammered, shocked at Delilah's state. "What happened?"

Delilah randomly burst into tears. "I-its m-my sister Mag-Maggie!"

"What happened? Is your dad alright? Is Selena alright?" Jake's eyes widened at the thought of something happening to Selena.

Delilah continued sobbing. "Oh Jakey! Selena's gone! And Maggie's been murdered!

**Okie dokie, so you obviously had to read Garth and Lilly's successors story to understand some of that. Also hope you enjoyed the chapter and feel free to let me know what you think will happen because of Selena's kidnapping and Margaret's murder. **

**See you after the holidays! **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: First chapter of 2012! And it is a good one, if I do say so myself…**

* * *

><p>Jake's mind was whirling. He was pacing outside of Winston and Eve's den, which was where his parents, Aunt, and Uncle held Head-Alpha meetings. They were asking Delilah what she had seen during her sister's murder and Selena's disappearance.<p>

Jake was forced to wait at the bottom of the cave with the other heirs to the Head-Alphas. Jake was the only one on his paws and pacing. Luna, Troy, and Hayden sat down in a half circle around him, each one's tail-tips twitching anxiously.

Jake had enough gruesome ideas playing through his head. It didn't help that his cousins and sister were discussing what they thought out loud.

"Did you see Maggie's body?" Luna asked her brother.

"Yeah! It had a bunch of bites and scratches," Troy answered.

"Surely it was a bear or a mountain lion or something," Hayden reasoned.

"The wounds were too small for that," Troy shook his head. "Everyone thinks it was a wolf."

"A lone wolf?" Luna pricked her ears. "Could a lone wolf kill Maggie? She was a really skilled Alpha."

"From all those marks, I'd think it was quite few wolves," Hayden looked at her paws as she was deep in thought. "Are you sure they only scented one wolf?"

"Yeah, but the others could've easily gotten away," Troy replied. "The leader must've lingered long enough for his scent to stay behind."

"You'd think Delilah would've seen more if that was the case," Luna said.

"They don't know what she saw yet," Hayden pointed out. "Just what happened to her poor sister…"

"And Selena," Luna nodded sadly.

Now Jake butted in. He stopped pacing to look Luna in the lavender eyes. "Selena might've been an Omega, but she can take care of herself! Remember how small Hayden was and then how well she got at her Alpha skills?"

"But Hayden grew. Selena is still a pretty small wolf…" Troy muttered.

Jake growled in spite of himself. Troy flattened his ears, feeling a little offended.

That's when Logan and Nick trotted up (Troy and Nick became friends again after all four packs united). They had been sent to find Candu, who had been with Selena, but no one had seen after Maggie's murder. Most assumed he was dead or missing with Selena. If he had been killed, Nick and Logan were supposed to find his body to make sure. But they were empty pawed.

"Nothing," Logan said as though it wasn't obvious. "And Nick checked all the nearby ditches. Looks like Candu might not be dead."

Jake felt relieved. If Candu wasn't dead somewhere else, than Selena wasn't either. Or was she? What if the killer took the bodies with him and just left Maggie because Delilah would've seen his face if he stayed any longer?

Jake shook his head, not wanting to give himself nightmares about these horrific fantasies. He continued pacing back and forth.

"Jake, relax!" Hayden said. "I'm sure Selena's fine. She never did anything worth being killed for. For all we know, she ran off and is in our den right now."

"Maggie was innocent too," Troy broke in. "But there is no way she could've survived that attack. What makes us think such a brutal killer would spare other innocent wolves?"

"Innocent?" Logan's pricked his ears. "Does anyone here remember that Luke pup? She had her share of bullying him and about…three others I think."

"You think the Omegas she bullied killed her?" Nick asked.

"She stopped that after Luke's death and even apologized to them," Hayden argued. "Besides, Western wolf Omegas wouldn't do something like that, let alone kidnap Selena and Candu."

"I'd think Candu would be too heavy and stubborn for them to take away," Luna said to herself.

"I agree with Hayden," Troy said. "I mean, there's all she just said, plus the scent around Maggie's body was a stranger. Humphrey knows all the Western wolves and Garth knows all the Eastern. They'd recognize anybody's scent if it came from those packs. And wolves from the other two packs have no motive to kill."

"And the murderer ran off," Hayden added, nodding with what Troy said. "No Omegas have been reported missing."

"Yet," Jake growled under his breath.

"I think we're all better off if we knew what Delilah saw," Nick said.

Jake wanted to walk away. This was useless! Reasoning with what could've happened wouldn't solve what _had_ happened! He wanted to go out and find her. That would be productive! Not arguing over who did it!

Jake pricked his ears. He saw the grass begin to move. Someone was walking through it. Someone small.

_Selena…?_

The grass in front of Jake finally parted and revealed the Omega pup he had seen that morning. Two other pups were right behind him.

"Utah," Hayden acknowledged the pups, standing up to walk and stand beside Jake. "Ralphie, Hunter. Good to see you. Um, what brings you here?"

"We can't find Hunter's mom," the pup from earlier, Utah, said. "He thinks she was taken by Margaret's murderer. Is it true?"

"Oh, I'm sure she's fine!" Luna assured, standing next to her cousins.

"Can we tell the Head-Alphas? Just to be sure?" asked Ralphie, a pup with a fur pattern like Garth's, except he was dark gray where Garth was red and silvery grey where Garth was cream-colored. He also had light gray patches over his yellow eyes.

"Maybe after they're done asking Delilah some questions," Luna gave a friendly smile.

"Who is your mother Hunter?" Hayden asked the third pup, a brown pup with a tan underbelly, and legs, and dark brown patches over his eyes, and dark brown ear-tips.

"Sabrina," the brown pup spoke up. "She's a former Alpha, but became an Omega when her left hind leg became crippled. She's white with a pale yellow colored back and tail. She has black patches over her eyes, black ears, and tail-tip."

"I think my mother knows her," Hayden said. "And I'm sure she's just somewhere a little far away from your den."

"I saw a wolf like that on my way to the Hunting Valley," Jake spoke up. "She was heading for Northern territory."

The pups still looked apprehensive, but didn't question their future Head-Alphas.

There was the sound of claws scraping against rock above their heads. Delilah came down from the cave, still in a wide-eyed, scruffy-furred mess. Garth, Humphrey, Lilly, and Kate were right behind her.

"And I promise, I told everything!" Delilah said.

"We believe you. And it was really helpful," Humphrey assured, although Jake recognized his father's lying voice.

"And there isn't anything else I can do?" Delilah asked fretfully.

"You can get some rest. We don't want you to still be in shock when it's your turn to help hunt," Kate said in a motherly tone. "Lilly? Why don't you and I escort Delilah to her parents' den?"

Lilly nodded and the two sisters walked to Candu's den, Delilah a paranoid, shaking pelt between them.

Garth sighed, sounding defeated. He looked at Nick and Logan. "Well? Any news on Candu?"

"Nothing," the two Northern wolves said in unison.

Then, the former Beta to Seth's pack, Max came trotting up. "Garth! Humphrey! Did Nick and Logan find anything on Candu?"

"Not a thing," Humphrey answered.

"Well, I think it's because they were looking in the wrong place. I found Candu."

"Alive?"

"He was when I found him. But…he might not be by the time we get there."

"Did he know what happened to Hunter's mom?" Utah asked.

"Who the heck are you?" Max asked.

"We're pups from the Eastern part of Jasper Park," Utah squeaked.

"I'm sorry," Luna raised a paw. "I know I'm new at this whole 'Alpha business' stuff, but shouldn't we be checking on Candu?"

"She's right," Max said. "Follow me."

Max turned and began to trot in the direction he had come from.

"Right, Humphrey, you, me, Hayden, and Troy will go with him," Garth announced.

"What? But—!" both Jake and Luna looked shocked.

"No buts from either of you," Garth said. "If we need you, we'll howl. The less that goes, the better."

"Exactly," Humphrey agreed. "If that murderer is still around, he'll have less to attack."

"But I—" Jake began. Hayden elbowed him roughly.

"Why don't you and Luna take these pups to their parents' dens?" she suggested. "That way, no mean Alphas can frighten them with stories if they went on their own."

"But I just wanted to—"

"Jake," Hayden interrupted him again. She lowered her voice to where others would have to strain to overhear. "I know why you want to go with us. I'll look for her and tell you everything I see."

Jake blinked gratefully at his littermate. "Thanks Hayden."

Jake and Luna walked away, the three pups hesitating before they followed the two. Max waited for the others a few feet away in the opposite direction.

"What was up with Jake? He usually doesn't care about being left out with Alpha duties," Humphrey pondered as they walked towards the former Beta of Seth's pack.

"I was thinking the same thing," Garth said as they caught up with Max. "I expected Luna to argue instead. Why would Jake want to see that?"

It boggled Hayden's mind that they hadn't figured it out. "Honestly, don't you two think at _all_?" she asked exasperatedly.

* * *

><p>The five Alphas finally reached the place where Maggie had been killed. Apparently, the murder involved Maggie being cornered against a cliff. On top of the cliff was where Max had seen her father.<p>

Miraculously, Candu was still alive when they returned. But no one expected him to be for very long.

Hayden (having almost been an Omega), looked over Candu. She was inspecting his wounds, sniffing and pressing her paws to where she _thought_ it wouldn't hurt. Finally, Humphrey and Garth stepped closer to her and Candu.

"Well?" Humphrey pressed.

"At this point? I'm just showing off," Hayden's ears drooped. "He's going. Ask what you want right now."

Humphrey looked at Garth.

"Candu? Did you see who did this to you?" Garth asked.

Candu took a shaky breath, his whole body shuddering. Like Maggie's, his body had scratches all over and bite marks on his shoulders. But unlike Margaret's slit throat, there was a deep gash in his throat.

"It moved too fast…saw fla—ashes…couldn't stop them…" he rasped. The injured wolf's head fell away from the interrogators limply and then he was completely still, his brown eyes almost immediately becoming glassy.

Even though it was beginning to be summer, a chilling wind blew against the Alpha wolves' backs. Hayden shuddered with cold.

"Did anyone else notice he said 'it'?" Troy said after a few heartbeats. "_It_. Not he or she. And it was so fast, it moved in flashes…"

"Sounds like some kind of monster," Hayden put in.

"Or an Eastern wolf," Garth said softly. "That used to be our technique when we attacked. We would move in quickly, then dart back into cover so our victim wouldn't know what hit them."

"Candu? Candu's daughter? Eastern wolves? It all sounds so good together…" Humphrey shook his head with disbelief. "But all four of us are united! Who would want to ruin it?"

"A few leftover Seth-shippers maybe?" Troy suggested.

"Maybe it was those lone wolves we've been spotting at the edges of Jasper Park?" Hayden thought aloud.

"They do want some of our territory," Humphrey agreed with his daughter.

"But they know Eastern pack strategies," Troy argued. "We would've noticed by now if someone was spying on us."

Hayden thought for a moment. Then something came to her. "What about that pup's mother that went missing?"

"Who?" Humphrey tilted his head, confused.

"The three pups that came up to us today," Troy explained. "One said his mother went missing. Her name was Sabrina."

"Sabrina?" Garth pricked his ears. "She used to be in our pack. She was crippled as an Alpha and became an Omega for it. I remember she and Kate were friends in Alpha School."

"Do you think she was passing pack secrets to them?" Humphrey asked.

"Maybe you should ask the pup if his mother's been behaving oddly?" Max finally spoke up from where he was standing a few paw steps away.

"Did _you_ notice anything odd?" Humphrey asked Garth.

Garth shook his head. "She was always a bit upset about being crippled. But even after all four packs were united she never really wanted to go past Eastern territory. Especially after she had her pups."

"But Jake said he saw her heading for Northern territory," Hayden pointed out.

"A sudden change in habits?" Humphrey looked interested. "What could that mean?"

"I think we should go with Max's idea," Garth said after a moment. "Lilly and I will stop by her den later and ask her some things. If she's not there, we can ask her pups. At least we can be positive they'll answer truthfully…" Garth narrowed his eyes.

Hayden felt confused. So much was going on and there wasn't a single lead as to why!

She finally remembered her promise to her brother. Hayden walked around Candu and began sniffing the ground. The grass tickled her nose but she was concentrating too hard to sneeze.

Hayden felt a thick, tall pelt beside her.

"Be careful Hayden," her father's voice was close to her ear. "We don't know if the murderer is still close by."

Hayden raised her head only a few inches off the ground to look at her sire. "Don't worry dad. I'm being careful. You should help Garth and Max with Candu. Troy's got my back."

Humphrey's ear twitched before he trotted back the way he came to help his packmates. Hayden was vaguely aware of Troy a few paw steps away, giving her a polite distance to work but still keeping an eye out for trouble while she was busy.

Hayden sniffed. And sniffed. And sniffed some more.

Sniff.

Sniff.

Sniff.

Nothing. There wasn't a trace of Selena anywhere. Just grass from her to the horizon.

Hayden didn't know that she had wondered farther from Candu's crime scene than she thought. Troy didn't notice either. He was too intrigued on watching her intense tracking. The two teenage Alphas were on the edge of Jasper Park. If Hayden went any further, they wouldn't be in the safety of their pack. They would be at the mercy of hunters and lawless lone wolves.

Luckily, Troy remembered why he was _supposed_ to follow his cousin. "Um, Hayden? We need to start getting back. The sun will set soon and none of this land looks familiar."

Hayden looked up, a leaf stuck to her nose. "But I promised Jake…" The gray and gold Alpha trailed off. She saw how close she was to leaving Jasper Park. She decided to listen to her instincts and not her conscience.

Hayden turned and walked back towards her family's den, Troy right beside her. Hayden's head hung low with disappointment that she hadn't found anything for Jake. Troy was disappointed for a reason he didn't know. But it cheered him up that there was still a leaf stuck to his cousin's nose.

* * *

><p>"So you didn't find anything? Not her scent or a scrap of fur?" Jake asked.<p>

He and Hayden were lying down in their parents den. Their parents were supposed to be hunting, but heaven knew what Humphrey was doing instead. The sun had nearly set, but it was already dark since the same rain clouds from that morning had covered up the horizon. And there was only a thin claw scratch of a moon that night, so the only light provided was a few fireflies that flew past their den entrance.

"I'm sorry Jake," Hayden's black ears drooped. "I searched for her for a long time, but I didn't want to leave Jasper Park."

Jake's ear twitched. Hayden was lying down, but he was sitting up in front of her. "It's okay. I wouldn't want you to leave the park if there wasn't anything to find."

Hayden's ears still drooped. "I just feel guilty. She was me and Luna's friend too."

"We aren't the only ones missing somebody," Jake reminded her, as he slid onto his belly. "I was playing with that pup, Hunter like you said to. On my way back, I didn't see any she-wolves heading that way aside from Aunt Lilly. What was she and Uncle Garth going to do again?"

"Dad thinks she's teaching lone wolves Eastern pack battle techniques," Hayden replied. "Uncle Garth wanted to ask her if it was true."

"But I didn't see her there when I was walking back. What if she isn't there?" Jake asked as a firefly flew between them and perched itself on the wall behind him.

"They're going to try asking Hunter if his mother had been behaving weirdly. I think it would be better that way because pups don't know what to keep secret or not."

Jake nodded in agreement.

A wolf appeared at the entrance of the cave. It was Luna. "Hi guys," she said, walking into the den and sat down. "I passed by Troy for a second on my way here. He said you were looking for Sel, Hayden."

"I was. But I didn't find anything," Hayden's ears drooped again. "And I searched all the way to the edge of Jasper. There wasn't even a tuft of fur left behind. It was like she never existed…"

"That's terrible," Luna whimpered. "I'm sure that was really tough. We can't leave Jasper Park when things are getting so freaky, but you must've wanted to if it was where Selena possibly went."

"I'm so worried about her," Hayden sighed as she sat up.

"I know," Luna said, her red tail flicking across the floor behind her. "She was a good friend."

Jake pricked his ears, looking like someone had offended him. "Was? What do you mean _was_? You can't say 'was' unless they're dead. Selena's not dead!"

"For all we know…" Hayden muttered under her breath.

The three sat in silence for what felt like an hour, but was probably sixty seconds before Luna spoke up. "Hey Jake? Why don't you and I go log sledding tomorrow?"

Jake hesitated. "Sure, I guess. I just really wanted to try out this new log I found, see how good it is."

"Really? Did you find it in Northern territory?" Luna asked, suddenly acting like none of the days earlier events happened. "They have really good logs there."

"Well no, but this one is really smooth on the bottom. Not too many chips or stuff like…"

The two started having a discussion about log-sledding and good logs. Hayden stayed quiet. She wasn't as close to Selena as Jake and Luna were. Than why did she feel so bad about not finding anything helpful with Selena's capture?

Hayden stood up and headed for the exit.

"I think smoothness isn't as helpful as—hey Hayden, where are you going?" Luna interrupted herself.

Hayden paused when she reached the exit and looked at her two Omega friends. "I'm just going to go for a walk. Make sure no one else is missing." Hayden meant to be joking, but realized too late that it wasn't very funny.

Hayden waited for one of them to say something about her bad joke or offer their accompaniment on her walk. The two Omegas didn't say anything, so Hayden started to walk away. She wasn't even out of earshot when she heard them start to talk about log-sledding again.

Hayden sighed and continued to walk; her only company was her thoughts. _Gee, those two are really close. _All_ the Omegas are really close friends. Why aren't us Alphas like that? Oh wait, I know. We always busy ourselves with drama with other packs and hunting, patrolling and that stuff. _

_Maybe when I'm Head-Alpha, I can make sure the other Alphas get to have some fun. That way, it'll feel like a family where everybody gets along and has each other's backs. Sure, we're like that now, but because we feel like we're supposed to. When I'm Head-Alpha, I'll try to make everyone _naturally_ feel like a family. It's just better that way._

* * *

><p>Hayden walked throughout the night. She realized she was still out when her parents were probably home with their dinner. And she was at the edge of Jasper Park again.<p>

Hayden looked around. She was at the end of Northern territory, so there were some trees around her. But it was still eerie here. There was only a thin sliver of a moon rising in the sky. Only six stars at the most. The fireflies were all behind her and kept flying even farther away from her. The only sounds she couldn't hear was her pack mates.

_Well of course they won't be here! _Hayden reminded herself. _Who would venture this close to the border? It's so easy to just accidentally cross over to—_

Hayden froze.

A scent drifted into her nose. She didn't recognize it, but it was definitely a wolf. She pricked her ears. Conveniently, the birds and crickets shut up, so she could listen for the unfamiliar wolf better.

_They're right behind me!_

The fur on Hayden's back and the back of her neck stood up and she couldn't hear anything else but her heart pounding in her ears.

_If they know I'm alone, they could kill me like with Maggie and Candu! How stupid am I?_

Hayden turned around. Her fear blocked out all her sensible thoughts and she tucked her tail between her legs. One of the most basic things an Alpha was taught was to never reveal fear to a dangerous opponent. It would make you look weak.

The shrubs in front of Hayden rustled and the wolf emerged. It was a white wolf with an orangish spot over his right eye and right ear. He had a mud-brown spot over his other eye, his left leg, and tail tip. His right hind leg was also an orange color.

_He's not from the pack! And he knows I'm afraid._

The stranger looked smug as he saw her by herself.

Hayden swallowed a whimper. _He wants to kill me. He wants to kill me. He's going to kill me. I'm done for!_

* * *

><p><strong>Is that a good cliffhanger or what?<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

Hayden was frozen. Wide eyed like caribou caught in the center of a circle made of Alpha wolves. She couldn't think properly. All her thoughts were the same.

_He probably killed Candu and Maggie. Wolfnapped Selena. If Candu couldn't fight him off what makes me think I can? He was more skilled at self-defense than me!_

The stranger slowly stepped closer, his head bowed. That was when Hayden finally remembered to _look_ like she was strong enough to defend herself. She flattened her ears and held her tail up high. She lowered her head like him, but she snarled.

"No need to get so hostile," the stranger said, halting a few paw steps away. "I'm no threat. Just talk to me like you would any wolf."

"Fine," Hayden had a smart remark to him. "WTF. OMG-or is it OML…?" Hayden meant for the last part to be more to herself.

The stranger laughed at her. "You're a funny Omega."

"Oh, but I'm not," Hayden held her head high. "I'm an Alpha." Hayden was smart enough to not reveal she was heir to a Head-Alpha. If she gave away she was vital to the pack, she would be the perfect hostage. _Is that why he took Selena? Did she lie to save her life?_

"An Alpha?" the stranger pricked his white and ginger ears. "My apologies. You don't look like an Alpha. That might help you out later on…"

Hayden narrowed her eyes. _What did he mean by that?_ she wondered.

"What's your name? I wouldn't want to just call you Charmer," the stranger commented.

_Charmer? That's what Logan calls Luna! Does this stranger know Logan? _"Why should I tell you my name?" Hayden hissed. "You'll just tell all your friends so they can come kill me like with Candu and Maggie!" _They're dead, so what's the point in keeping their names secret?_

"Kill? Well why would I want to cause someone's death?" the stranger looked confused.

_He's my age. _Hayden mentally bit herself. _What does that matter? He's dangerous!_

"You know what I mean! You lone wolves have been killing my packmates! If anything, I should be asking who you are."

"Killing pack wolves…Oh! You must mean that new pack that's been—"

"Mitch! Mitchell the II, so help me, if you're flirting with strangers again I'll have your tail inside out before you can say—"

The bushes behind the stranger rustled and a female wolf slid out of the shadows. Her pelt was dark gray, almost a black color, her legs were mud-brown, and her ears were a bright ginger color. Her tail was layered; dark gray at the tip, brown in the center, and ginger where it connected to the rest of her. She narrowed her eyes at Hayden.

"Mitch. Who is this?" the female demanded.

_She's a female and she knows this stranger. They don't look like siblings, so they might be mates. _Something embedded itself in the pit of Hayden's stomach. _Is that jealousy? But why would I feel that for this mange-pelt?_

"I am someone who refuses to give up her name to a pair of murderers," Hayden informed the newcomer.

"She thinks we're you-know-who…" the male said softly to the female's ear.

The female's bright brown eyes widened in shock for a brief moment before she growled. She stormed up to Hayden until only a mouse could fit between their noses. "Who do you think you are?" she hissed.

Hayden was afraid now that she was outnumbered. But she didn't reveal it and stood her ground. Both females had their brown eyes narrowed into slits.

"What authority do you have to accuse us of such insanity?" the new female went on angrily.

Hayden opened her mouth, but closed it almost as quickly. She wanted to tell this sass-mouth off, but she couldn't reveal her identity.

"Kiana, hold your temper," the male, Mitch, cautioned. "She's an Alpha."

"To think, our pack would call you 'Fearless Mitch,'" Kiana muttered to herself. She lashed her multi-colored tail and showed Hayden her teeth. "We might not be as skilled as you fancy flippers are, but I know perfectly well how to use claws!"

_They're just two Omegas? Than how did they kill Candu and his daughter?_

"Is that how you killed my packmates?" Hayden retorted. "Aimlessly using claws?"

Kiana snarled even fiercer. "What advantage would we have if some of you precious pack wolves lost half your pack?"

"What?" all hostility disappeared and Hayden pricked her ears. Her thoughts found their way to her tongue. "Lost half the…what do you mean? Do you know the murderers? Do you know what they're plotting?"

Kiana kept her snarl, but it was more of a know-it-all evil grin kind. "As if we'd associate with such madness," she snorted.

"But what do you know?" Hayden asked hurriedly. "Do you know why they're doing it? Do you know why they took Selena? Do you know who they want to—"

"I'll tell you this much," Kiana interrupted. "I know they want to kill _you_."

Hayden's blood went cold. Her? Why her? She was always nice. Who would want her dead? She wasn't Head-Alpha yet.

Her fear made Hayden panic. "Well at least I have a pack that will want to protect me. At least I have a home where other wolves want me!"

Her words were like icy claws to Kiana. Her eyes widened with shock and her jaws parted as she searched for something to say. Her body shook with anger as she tried to come up with a crusher that would hurt Hayden as much as what she said had.

The Alpha noticed Kiana flexing her claws. _She wants to hurt me. But if we start fighting, she knows she can't win. Her only weapon is her smart mouth._

The female lone wolf flattened her ears, still shaking with anger. Finally, she literally spit on Hayden.

Hayden yelped with surprise and backed away, blindly pawing at the spot between her eyes.

She heard the sound of Kiana stalking away. When Hayden stopped pawing at her eyes, she saw the bushes rustle and then still. Mitch had been watching her leave, then turned to Hayden.

"I'm sorry about her," he said as he embarrassedly ducked his head and rolled his eyes at his companion. "You fight dirty, pup. Usually I can never win those with her. And by what she said, I'm sure—"

"Mitch, so help me I will toss you over the waterfall!" Kiana's voice rang through the air.

Mitch's tail tucked between his legs and he fearfully scurried to follow the other lone wolf.

_She reminds me of Grandma Eve_ Hayden thought.

"Wait!" Hayden was about to run after them.

Mitch looked at her over his shoulder, one paw already amongst the shrubs' leaves.

"You two know more about the killers than my pack does," Hayden began.

She noticed Mitch look at something out of the corner of his eye. Hayden could see the silhouette of Kiana, listening to her with pricked ears while flicking her tail back and forth impatiently.

"I'll tell you what I know," Mitch said to Hayden. "You can meet me here at night—"

He was cut off by Kiana's warning growl. He disappeared into the bushes, ears flattened.

_How did he know what I was going to ask?_ Hayden wondered. _Only Jake knows me that well…_

"Wait, when?" Hayden asked too late. She heard their paw steps running away and Kiana whisper something she didn't understand.

"Don't say a thing or we can be next!"

Hayden stamped a paw to the ground in frustration. _I'm starting to see why nobody likes lone wolves_.

* * *

><p>Hayden walked back to her family's den with about a million things rolling through her mind. But three things were rearing up more than others.<p>

_When should I meet Mitch if I decide I should?_

_Mitch called me Charmer, like Logan with Luna. Did those two know Logan?_

_Are the murderers who killed Candu and Maggie really going to come after me? Or was Kiana just being a bit-_

"Hayden!"

"I was going to say bit too dramatic!" Hayden yelped, whirling around.

Hayden saw her mother walking towards her. Kate ran up to her pup and wrapped a foreleg around her. "Oh Hayden! I was so worried!" Kate breathed, removing herself from her daughter. "Your father, brother, uncle, and I have been looking all over each territory for you! We thought something had happened to you," there was a tinge of whimper in Kate's voice now. "Something like…you know…Maggie."

"I figured you would," Hayden admitted. "I'm sorry about getting all of you worked up."

"Your brother said you went somewhere," Kate went on.

"I did. I wanted to walk for awhile. He and Luna were talking some Omega stuff, so I wanted to let them do that themselves."

"As long as you're okay. C'mon. We need to go let your father know where you've been." Kate started walking in the direction Hayden had been heading. "Where _have_ you been exactly?" she asked after a few seconds of walking together.

Hayden hesitated. Should she tell her mother about the two lone wolves? They might've known Logan once and they didn't know the killers. _Besides, I don't want to be what happened to Luna, part 2._

"I was walking to clear my head and I ran into the border of Jasper Park again. I saw these two lone wolves."

Kate pricked her ears, looking concerned.

"Don't worry about it mom!" Hayden added quickly. "They were just some lone wolves. You should've met them. There was this one who got so insulted just by the thought of the murders…" Hayden growled. "Oh, how I almost ripped her ears up! She was so annoying!"

"You met lone wolves the night of two murder cases?" Kate looked suspicious. "That's quite a coincidence Hayden."

"I know, but they were Omegas when they had a pack. The one I just mentioned, she really wanted to sink her teeth into my tail, but you could tell she knew I would win."

"I still don't like it," Kate flattened her ears to her head and narrowed her eyes.

Hayden decided to confide something to her mother. She stopped walking and stood in her mother's way. "The second wolf, a male, called me Charmer."

"Isn't that what Logan calls Luna sometimes?"

"That's what I was thinking! What do you think that's all about?" Hayden asked, tilting her head like a young pup.

Kate shrugged. "Beats me. Every lone wolf had a pack once. Maybe they were from the Northern pack?"

"Perhaps we should ask Logan. Maybe they knew each other?" Hayden suggested.

"Maybe," Kate nodded. "We can talk to him tonight. I heard he was over at Delilah's den. But first, we should find your father and brother," Kate started walking again, Hayden right by her side.

Kate and Humphrey's den was a cave who's opening was perched above ground. There was a slope attached to the ground that curved at a diagonal angle leading up to the entrance. Kate let her daughter walk up ahead of her. Once they reached the entrance, Hayden squeaked with surprise as someone pounced on her and pinned her down with her head stuck on her paws.

"Where's my pup? If you've come here for her brother as well, I'll rip you apart!" the attacker snarled.

"Humphrey!" Kate exclaimed.

Humphrey studied his prisoner for a few seconds before pricking his ear and scrambling off of her. Hayden scurried to huddle against the cave wall.

"Sorry Hayden," Humphrey dipped his head to apologize.

"It's fine I guess…" Hayden was still a little stunned as she rubbed her shoulders with her tail. Her brother walked up to her, as if he couldn't believe it was really her.

"Humphrey!" Kate looked at her mate with a glare that could kill.

"Sorry," the Head-Alpha cowered. "I've been really tense since me and Barf heard about Hayden's wandering off."

"It's Garth," the three other wolves corrected.

"We were on our way to speak with Logan," Kate went on, more calm now. "Hayden met some lone wolves on her trip and we think they used to know him."

"Lone wolves?" Humphrey stared at Hayden like she had antlers sprouting out of her head. "Why were you confronting them? They could've been the-"

"I know dad," Hayden broke in. "And it was more like they confronted me really. I was still in the territory when the first one found me. They didn't want to talk to me. But then one called me Charmer, which I recognized from Logan. Mom and I suspect they might've lived in the Northern pack once."

"Do 'ya think?" Humphrey turned to his mate.

Hayden's mother shrugged and hummed 'I don't know.' "We were going to confront Logan about it. Would you and Jake like to come?"

"Sure," Jake answered.

"I don't see why not," Humphrey added.

"Okay. We should tell Garth about Hayden first though," Kate said as she started to lead her family outside. Humphrey walked beside her, and their pups were side-by-side right behind them.

"Sorry for making you really worried mom," Hayden apologized.

"Oh I knew you were fine," Kate lied. "Remember? I have mother's intuition."

Jake and Hayden moaned at the same time. Even Humphrey winced as though he was in pain.

"Oh, quit complaining!" Kate scolded. "One day, you two will have a parent's intuition and you'll be grateful for it. Why, I know. I was like this when I was your age. Younger even! In fact, I started hearing stories about my mother's intuition before I even went to Alpha School."

"Not again…" Hayden and Jake moaned, letting their heads droop.

Kate didn't acknowledge it. "I remember it all started when I saw this huge human-"

"It was a bear," Humphrey, Jake, and Hayden corrected in unison.

"It couldn't have been a bear!" Kate argued. "I would've remembered a bear. Humans are much more scarier. Now, you see I had frizzy fur that day-not the kind from humidity but the kind that takes a long time with a pinecomb, you know like from sleeping in and then running around in dirt-and so I was running from Lilly because we were playing hide-and-seek-I don't think Lilly was really into it, she counted so slowly!-anyways…"

* * *

><p><em>A <span>long<span> walk of torture later…_

"…and so," Kate laughed. "Your grandmother! She pounces on your father, ready to strangle him for even _mentioning_ repopulation between us, but luckily for your father's tail, I step in and say-"

"We're here," Humphrey interrupted.

Kate pricked her ears and shook her head. "No, no, no, I would've remembered saying that. No I said-"

"No, Kate, I mean we're here as in…" Humphrey gestured to the cave in front of them. "_Here_, here. At the den."

"Oh!" Kate stood up straighter. "Well, I'll just have to continue the story on the way back," she said sweetly, walking up to the entrance.

"Can't wait," Jake and Hayden said just like they had rehearsed. Humphrey sighed and he looked at his paws.

Candu had a den similar to Kate and Humphrey's, but it was closer to the ground, had a pathway that led straight upward instead of a curvy diagonal, and had a flat top instead of a round one.

The four wolves walked up the pathway. Inside, Delilah was sitting near her mother, Candu's mate. They looked like they had been talking about something serious when Kate's family stepped in.

"Hello Candy," Kate greeted Delilah's mother. "I hope we aren't interrupting anything."

"Oh!" the reddish-brown and white Omega's voice sounded hoarse. She cleared her throat before sitting up straighter in the presence of her Head-Alphas and their heirs. "That's alright. We weren't getting anything productive done, really. Just discussing the little ones."

"Oh yes!" Kate's eyes gleamed. "How is the second litter?" she asked, walking further into the den. Humphrey followed a little ways behind.

Hayden leaned to the side and whispered into her brother's ear. "She's pregnant again?"

"Apparently," he whispered back. "How long has this been?"

"As far as I know, five minutes," Hayden replied, walking forward to sit beside her parents.

Jake stood, frozen with surprise. "Wow…I've heard of doing it fast but that's just…crazy!"

He walked forward after Kate called for him. He stood next to his sister, who was sitting beside their parents.

"We're very sorry for your loss," Humphrey began.

Kate elbowed him roughly. She gestured with her eyes at Delilah.

Delilah was slouching, her ear tips ever so slightly drooping, her fur still scruffy, her eyes looking like she had never slept before in her life, and so, _so_ much older than she really was.

But Candy acted like she was trying to make light of the situation. "Oh," she forced a laugh. "If only we had a bone for every time we heard that today, right Delilah?" she patted her daughter's paw.

"We could make sculptures of a replacement dad and Maggie," Delilah mumbled.

Candy glared fiercely at her daughter. "Not in front of the Head-"

"It's alright Candy!" Kate broke in. "We understand."

"We don't mean to pester you," Hayden added. "We just heard about Logan being here and wanted to ask him something about his old pack."

"That all?" Candy tried to smile like it was any other day. "He's on the roof with CJ. Or…I guess we can just call him Candu junior now. Since there's no one to confuse him with…"

"Then we'll get out of your fur," Kate dipped her head politely. She began to exit the den, Humphrey and Jake following her single-file.

Hayden brought up the rear. She halted and turned around to face the grieving Omega and traumatized young black and white Alpha.

"You don't have to pretend nothing happened. It's only healthy for you to grieve."

Candy sat in silence.

"You're pregnant again?" she asked as politely as she could.

Candy nodded. "We loved each other very much."

Hayden nodded politely. She looked at the floor briefly before looking back at the brown and white wolf. "Is that all you were talking about?"

More silence from Candy. She switched the weight on her paws uncomfortably. "Will there be funerals soon?"

"Yes!" Hayden answered a little too quickly. She wanted to do anything to make Candy feel better.

Candy nodded to signal she heard then looked away.

"Hayden?"

Hayden turned and trotted outside to where her dad's voice came from. She trotted to the roof of the den and crouched beside her family.

"Do you see this?" Humphrey demanded.

Hayden nodded. Before them was Logan, wrestling with a male that had Candy's brown and white fur pattern, but Candu's build.

Logan and the other wolf started on separate sides of the roof before they ran towards each other, pushing each other to their hind legs. Candy's third pup snapped at Logan's face but Logan dodged his teeth. Logan threw him to the side. Before Candy's son could get to his paws, Logan pounced on him and bit into his scruff, tugging with all his might. The wolf yelped and cried out. Logan let go and jumped off him. The second wolf went limp for a moment before springing to his paws and pinning Logan against the smooth rock that looked navy blue in the night-lighting. The wolf grinned and his tail wagged victoriously.

"Congrats, now let me up," Logan said.

"Oh-right!" Candy's pup stepped off the gray wolf. He turned and pricked his ears as he saw the Head-Alphas. Logan pounced on him from behind.

"You don't turn your back on your enemy!" Logan scolded, sounding frustrated. "You never know who you can trust in the midst of battle."

Candy's son growled with frustration at himself and slowly got to his paws after Logan jumped off of him.

Kate and her family walked onto the roof of the den with them.

"What is going on here?" Humphrey asked, sounding unimpressed.

"Well…CJ here knows he's the only male in his family now, so he wanted to learn some Alpha fighting techniques so he could be better at protecting his family in case the murderers come for the rest of his family," Logan explained.

"I'll make them pay for what they did to dad and Maggie!" CJ added determinedly, flexing his claws and showing his teeth.

"Right…" Kate sounded doubtful. "Anyway, Logan we wanted to talk to you about someone you might've known once."

"Oh really? Who?"

There was a moment of silence. Hayden hadn't realized her mother was looking at her, waiting for her to say something. "Oh! Um…I was walking around Jasper Park, trying to shake off today's events and I ran into some lone wolves. What they said wasn't important right now, but I did notice one of them called me 'Charmer.'"

"Hey! He must've known Mit-" Logan clamped his jaws shut.

"Mit? Mit who? Mittens? Mistofflees? Who's Mit?" Humphrey questioned.

"No one important," Logan avoided Humphrey's gaze and turned, jumping off the roof of the cave and bounding into the forest.

Startled, Kate hopped all the way onto the roof. "Logan!" she cried. "_Logan_!" Kate scoffed and turned around to face her family. "What was all that about?" the gold-tan wolf wondered.

"Probably Mitch," Hayden answered. "He was the lone wolf."

Humphrey flattened his black ears and held up a paw, as if he was counting letters in his head. Finally, the idea hit him. "Mitch starts with Mit!"

Kate sighed and dropped her gaze to her paws. "Hey, he's right," Jake pointed out.

Kate shook her head and began to make her way back home. "I'm afraid this means we won't be discussing memories on the way home," Kate said sadly.

Humphrey looked at her with fake sympathy, but really he agreed with his pups. Hayden vertically elbowed the air and Jake whispered, "Yes!"

"Unfortunately, we must dwell on all of this…complicated matter," Kate went on.

"Yes dad, she means the lone wolves," Hayden answered her father's unspoken question.

"Where exactly did you see the lone wolves, Hayden?" Kate asked.

"Around the northwestern border of Jasper. The place with all the shrubs," Hayden replied.

"The one where the trees slowly start to grow closer and closer together?" Hayden's father wondered.

Hayden nodded.

"That place gives me the creeps," Humphrey shuddered.

"Well I think we should send a few guards there for the lone wolves. Two or three at least," Kate decided.

"It's not that simple Kate," Humphrey argued. "The pups, especially Jake and Luna, need to work on their Head-Alpha training. How will we juggle that _and_ the murder case?"

"Goodness Humphrey, you make it sound like some Sherlock Bones, bedtime story," Kate breathed. "All we're doing is finding out who did this to Candu and Maggie to bring their names to justice."

"What I want to know is, what's up with Logan?" Jake joined the conversation.

"We'll need to ask him why that name upsets him so much," Humphrey nodded with agreement.

"I know, but we need to pick a better time," Kate responded. "Sometime, he'll have no choice but to answer our questions. What I'm focusing on is what to ask those lone wolves. Their must be something connecting them to those kills."

Hayden stopped, feeling frustrated that her mother wasn't listening to her. "Mom, that doesn't make sense. The female wolf was completely offended by the very thought of the murderers."

"Well Hayden, it's like my mother told me," Kate said over her shoulder. "Lone wolves are con wolves. They'll say _anything_ to get something from a pack wolf. Which is another thing! Remember this, pups: you can never run away from something. There'll always be something following you even if you try."

Jake and Hayden shared a worried glance, before bounding forward to catch up with their parents.

* * *

><p>About a week and a half later, six more wolves were killed. Four more mysteriously disappeared. The pup, Hunter, never found his mother. He stayed with his friend, Ralphie until the killings stopped. That is, until Ralphie's mother became the fifth murder case. Her almost completely ripped out throat was incredibly traumatizing for those poor pups to come home to.<p>

The pack went through with Kate's guard idea. But the lone wolves never did show up. Hayden was confused. The male, Mitch had said he would return!

As for Selena's case, Jake had never been more upset. Some of the other wolves began to act like she never existed. It drove him crazy! One day, Luna found a clue.

She and her family were searching the Northern territory, sniffing for signs of the killers. "Dad?" Luna had found a scrap of fur snagged on a thorn bush nearby. When Garth trotted up to her, he sniffed the scrap of fur. Garth wouldn't ever forget a scent. And Luna would recognize that caramel-colored, moss-soft fur anywhere!

Okay, so it wasn't _very_ helpful as to where Selena was. But the fur hadn't been there the day before. It hinted that she was alive, and roaming the edges of Jasper.

Jake knew that if Selena was alive and nearby, she would definitely want to come back home. He began to suspect someone was blackmailing her or doing something to hold her back.

Today, Humphrey was outside his den, looking over the territory, ready for another day of work. He and Lilly were the only ones really trying to keep the pack calm about the whole ordeal. Garth and Kate were the ones secretly freaking out and feeling stressed.

"Humphrey," someone called.

"Barf, I'm surprised you didn't call me Coyote like usual," Humphrey walked to meet Garth at the bottom of the pathway. "What's the special occasion?"

"It's Garth, and I'd call you that even on a special occasion," Garth's joking expression slowly faded. "It means I have some bad news…"

Humphrey was in shock of what Garth had told him. He was sitting outside the den, looking at the sunset quietly when his mate came up beside him.

"…Humphrey?" Kate was cautious. "Humphrey, I'm sorry about what happened to Salty. I promise you, we'll find him. And if I have anything to say about it, we'll find him before his throat is ripped…" Kate decided not to finish. She awkwardly went inside their den, where Jake was nervously pacing in front of Hayden.

"Mom, I have an idea," Hayden announced. "Tonight, I want to stand guard at the Northern border."

Kate pricked her ears. "You choose to volunteer now? After your Uncle Salty and Aunt Sweets's disappearance?"

"Well we're getting no where with those stand guards. I think they're waiting for someone they somewhat know," Hayden reasoned.

Kate's ears flattened to her head as she thought this over. "Fine. It's been awhile since we did something toget-"

"I think it would be wise alone," Hayden cut her off. "That way, they won't feel threatened."

Kate was reluctant, but knew Hayden would argue until the sun came back up. She sighed with defeat and silently nuzzled her daughter's head. "Just be careful," Kate murmured.

"Of course," Hayden dipped her head. She said good-bye to her brother by rubbing his nose and made her way to the exit. She nuzzled her dad below the left ear. He had overheard their conversation, and had something to say.

"Do you still have your mother's Mama Bear story in mind?"

Hayden nodded.

"Good girl."

Now she had her father's permission.

* * *

><p>"Finally!"<p>

Hayden nearly jumped out of her pelt and whipped around. Just like when they first met, a white wolf with brown and ginger markings emerged from the bushes behind her.

"I've been coming back for you, but you never showed up," Mitch said as he walked closer to her. "There were always these complete strangers coming instead."

_Logan's not a stranger to you,_ Hayden thought.

Mitch sat down and made himself comfortable in front of her.

"Well how was I supposed to know when to come?" Hayden demanded, feeling annoyed as she remembered how urgent it was to know what he knew that night. "You ran off without any details whatsoever!"

"Sorry," Mitch tilted his head. "My mother's been howling for me nonstop!"

"Really?"

"I don't know."

Hayden flattened her ears, not expecting that answer. "Wha-how do you not know who your mother is?"

"My father was a lone wolf," Mitch scoffed as if it was obvious. "He's had twenty six mates in his lifetime. He always saw them when it was dark and they wouldn't give him their names!"

"Then how'd he tell them apart?"

"The numbers he marked on their backs?" he guessed.

Hayden squeaked, suddenly offended to be a female. "That's terrible!"

"I know; Mother's Day is a disaster every year," Mitch's ears drooped.

"Well, I'd blame your father," Hayden said matter-of-factly. "That's a terrible thing to do!"

"But on the positive side, one of the females gave me a pet squirrel," Mitch tried to lighten the subject.

"I guess that's good."

"Well…maybe not. You see, my father didn't know it was my friend and liked it when it was hunting time, so that's how I ended up with a pet with no legs…but he still lasted for a good few years," Mitch added when she didn't respond.

"Oh. My dad's friends are friends with some squirrels who they trained to throw berries. Could yours do any tricks?"

Hayden realized too late what she had said.

Luckily, Mitch was nice about it. "He could roll over."

Hayden snorted a laugh. "I'm sorry," she held up a paw to block her giggling face.

"Yeah, yeah, it's funny, but not if you were him. I was usually raised in an area that had a lot of inclines so most of the time he couldn't stop himself! Some wolves thought it was my tail that had been ripped off, and they were seeing my father trying to get rid of it."

Now Hayden's giggles were flat out laughter. She was a little bit surprised. No one had been able to make her laugh the past week and a half! _No wonder he used to be an Omega _she thought fondly. She blushed and sat down, wrapping her tail around her paws and nearly touching her nose. She hated her laugh. Sure, she didn't snort or sound like a dying donkey, but ever since she went to Alpha School, everyone around her expected her to be a no-nonsense wolf.

"See? You're laughing? I think we've patched things up over what my friend said to you," Mitch commented.

"Looks like you have enough 'patches' already," Hayden teased, gesturing to her eyes to refer to the colored splotches over his eyes.

That made Mitch laugh. _He's laughing at that? _Hayden's tail thumped against the forest floor joyfully. _Hooray! I've made an Omega laugh, not the other way around! I'm finally good at something fun._

"Just be glad my face markings are somewhat balanced-I have a friend who's managed to look asleep and terrified all at the same time!" Mitch said, making Hayden giggle again.

"See? You Alphas can have fun," Mitch said, as though he had read her thoughts from earlier.

"Well, my father was born an Omega and so is my mother's sister. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree you know," Hayden replied. "In this case, it was trampled by a truck, so it took longer to sprout!"

Mitch laughed again. "A truck?"

"Yep. A truck named Alpha School." They both chuckled at that.

Mitch was quiet for a moment before hesitantly speaking. "Um…pup-"

"Hayden."

Mitch pricked his ears, surprised she finally somewhat trusted him. "Okay. Um, Hayden? I have something think I should tell you-"

A loud, deep growl interrupted him. The leaves behind Mitch parted and a new wolf showed himself, snarling at both of the young wolves. Mitch shrank away, ears flattened to his head.

"Mitchell, who is this pup you are speaking to?" he narrowed his dark blue eyes suspiciously. He was a black wolf with silvery-gray fur on his chest, and a silver stripe running from his nose to tail-tip.

"She's no one Desoto," Mitch answered a little too quickly. "Just a wolf from the pack that lives here."

"Really?" the black and silver wolf fixed his chilling glare on Hayden.

Hayden didn't feel afraid. This wolf knew Mitch, and Mitch's friend Kiana was insulted by the very thought of associating with the murderers. Surely this guy wouldn't be any different, right?

The new wolf raised a paw, ready to walk towards Hayden, but Mitch put a paw in his way. "No need. I already told her, and she's going to get some of her friends to come with."

"Good," Desoto praised the cowering male. He looked at Hayden again, his eyes icy slits. He inspected her up and down. "You're awfully small. You _must_ be an Omega."

"Omega? Oh, I'm sorry. I'm an Alpha," Hayden corrected him.

"Really?" Desoto pricked his ears with interest. Hayden noticed Mitch flinch beside him.

"Is…that a problem?" Hayden asked, a tiny bit of nervousness starting to grow.

"Not at all," Desoto replied in a silky voice. "But being an Alpha, surely your pack is missing you, no?"

"Well, they wanted me here so I could…" Hayden remembered her Head-Alpha theory. "…well, the Head-Alphas want to know why Mitch was hanging around here. The first time," she added, knowing Mitch would just say to see her again.

"First time?" Desoto looked at Mitch suspiciously.

"Two weeks ago," Mitch replied automatically.

"Interesting. Well pup," Desoto turned back to Hayden. "You can let your pack know that Mitchell and his friend have their lone wolf days left behind them. They have joined my group of wolves and should be out of your fur."

"Oh but I need-"

"To get back to your den?" Desoto interrupted. "You look tired. Almost moon-high. Pups need to be in their dens."

"I'm not a-"

"That includes this one," Desoto put a forepaw between Mitch's eyes and shoved him into the darkness of the shrubs.

Hayden whimpered. She had finally found the only lead they had and she lost him! What would she tell her parents?

Hayden growled at herself and walked home, sulking.

Once out of earshot, Desoto nipped Mitch's ear sharply.

"Just what do you think you were going to do back there?" Desoto demanded as the young Omega rubbed his pained ear.

"Nothing. I just wanted her to-"

"To know about us?" Desoto hissed. "You know the consequences if _they_ find out about what we're doing. Not even in a new pack for an entire day and you already want to betray them. Do you wish to end up dead like she will and her packmates?"

"No. I just don't think she deserves-"

"Shut up!" Desoto snarled. From the furious glare in his eyes, Mitch felt fear and shrank to the ground, ears and tail pressed tightly to him. "From now on, you tell The Leader where you're going or else you and Kiana get to spend a few nights in the Bowl…"

"No!" Mitch jumped up, instantly looking alert. "I mean…" Mitch resumed his pitiful position. "I-I didn't tell her anything."

"So you lied to me back there? Calling her an Omega and that she wanted to join our pack. I don't care how much the truth hurts. I'm sure the Killers would love to know about your new friend."

"You said you wouldn't bring them up!" Mitch felt panicky.

"You've left me no other choice," Desoto said coldly. He began to walk away smugly.

Mitch's heart dropped to his paws. He panicked and pounced while Desoto's back was to him. Surprised, Desoto was pinned down. Mitch put his paws on Desoto's throat and growled. "Don't let them hurt her!" Mitch begged. "She's so sweet and almost all of her friends are Omegas."

Desoto kicked his stomach and Mitch flew over his head. In a flash, Desoto jumped to his paws, raced over and stood over the young wolf with one forepaw on his throat.

"Don't disobey your leaders, pup," Desoto hissed. Mitch struggled to throw him off as Desoto pressed harder and harder on his only source of air, but the older wolf was stronger and didn't even flinch as Mitch's hind claws scraped his flanks. "This is why we had a problem taking you in," Desoto went on emotionlessly. "You let your feelings get in the way too much. And for someone who won't even think of you as a _friend_, let alone more…"

Mitch whimpered.

"…you need to toughen up, you soft-bellied puppy. Good dogs won't survive what's coming."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Okay, this may sound cliché, but I am writing a book. I'm determined to finish it by my birthday, which is in less than two months now. I apologize for anymore long waits for updates (hey, a rhyme!). Think of it this way: more time to figure out what's happening on your own!**

**And yes, by L in OML, Hayden meant Lupus. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Cutie here. So is the next chapter. I feelin' kind of down at the moment, so just enjoy before I'm tempted to burden you with my own problems.**

* * *

><p>The other half of the week went by, and the case was getting no where. The killings increased by the day. Hayden decided it was time to take things in her own paws.<p>

She mostly wanted to know what was up with Logan. She walked up to him in the Hunting Valley today, ready to trick him into answering the question he avoided for so long.

"Logan? We're friends right?" Hayden asked innocently.

"Sounds like the start to a trick question, but yeah," Logan replied carefully.

"So can I confide in you for anything?" Hayden asked, shuffling her paws to make it look like it was a question about her that she was embarrassed to ask.

"Sure," Logan answered, buying it.

"What happened between you and Mitch?" Hayden said quickly.

"Except that; got to go!" Logan turned, about to bound off into the Northern territory.

"I expected that but I have something else!" Hayden said it as almost one word to avoid the gray wolf walking away without hearing.

"What now?" Logan demanded impatiently.

"What is anaik spelled backwards?"

"Ki-" Logan clamped his mouth shut.

Hayden lashed her tail, upset that Logan caught on.

"Nice try pup," Logan barked.

"What happened between you three?" Hayden whined.

"Hayden. It's in everyone's best interest if you stayed out of it," Logan growled, storming away.

Hayden's tail curled evilly. "If I have to stay out of it," she muttered to herself once he was far away. "I know someone who can worm into anything you do…"

* * *

><p>"You're asking me to interrogate my boyfriend?" one of Luna's ears flopped.<p>

She and Hayden were walking through a field that was in the Southern territory, so it was pretty bare, with only a few new flowers starting to peek from the ground here and there.

"Well, it's not really an interrogation so much as just the one question," Hayden protested. "I just need you to make it come up naturally-like part of the conversation."

"I'm not sure about this…" Luna shrugged slowly with apprehension. "I don't want to make him upset. You know how he can be about his past."

"I do. That's why you're the perfect wolf for the job!" Hayden declared. "Logan confides his wildest dreams with you."

"He doesn't have wild dreams!"

"The ones in his sleep are. Seriously, a pink cow?"

Luna was quiet for a heartbeat. "Well, yeah that one was pretty wacky…"

Hayden shook her head, trying to get back on track. "Luna, this is vital to the murder case!"

"But I just don't want him to get mad at me for making him remember something that's tucked so far back into his brain…"

"It's a risk we need to take if we ever want to find out what happened to Selena, Aunt Sweets, Uncle Salty and everyone else."

Luna walked beside her cousin, silently debating. "I guess when you put it that way-"

"Great!" Hayden bounced excitedly. "I heard he's hunting in the Northern territory tonight, at sunset. You guys should talk before then! Thanks Luna!" Hayden bounded away with a skip in her steps now.

* * *

><p>It was twilight by the time Hayden saw Luna again. Luna was about to pass by in front of Hayden. She pricked her ears, ecstatic to know what Logan told Luna. "Luna!" she called, cheerfully, making Luna halt, one paw in the air about to take another step. Hayden trotted closer to her. "How'd it go?"<p>

Luna's lavender eyes narrowed and she growled bitterly at Hayden before storming away, an angry aura surrounding her. Hayden stared after her in shock. Then she sighed in defeat, her ears drooping. "Oh brother."

"You called?"

Hayden squeaked and jumped about two feet in the air. "Jake!" she gasped. "Why don't you tell somebody when you're gonna do that?"

"Sor-ree," Jake dipped his head. "I heard my title; brother. I'm I needed by my lovely sister?"

"No Jakey-" Hayden cut herself off. She could've sworn she felt an actual idea wriggling into her head and making its way to the front of her mind. It was probably a bad idea, given everything that was happening at the moment, but the idea of pulling it off with the help of her loyal brother (and maybe some other close friends for luck), it could be an exciting adventure.

"Actually, Jake, I have an idea, but I don't want anyone around here to hear it."

* * *

><p>Hayden returned to the place where she met Mitch, Kiana, and Desoto. She held up a low hanging branch up with her tail. "Hurry up Jake!" she scolded.<p>

"Sorry, sorry, sorry," Jake crawled under it to be beside her, a leaf stuck to his nose. Hayden used her tail to wipe it off.

"Ouch!" another voice growled as the branch Hayden's tail had been holding up smacked their nose.

"Quiet Troy! We can't let someone know we're doing this!" Hayden growled back.

"The leaf is still on his nose," a fourth wolf pointed out. She reached out with a gold-colored paw to wipe it off completely.

"Thanks Cherry," Jake muttered politely.

"Okay," Hayden straightened. "This is officially the edge of Jasper. Are we ready to do this?" she looked back at her companions.

"I don't even know why I agreed to come this far," Cheyenne confessed. "But I'm drawing the line here! This is dangerous. If something happens, our packmates will be so far away…"

"You have three right here," Troy encouraged her. "I talked with Hayden about it and she has a good point. We're not getting any leads doing what our parents are doing."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"What does it mean?" Hayden snapped. She whirled around and looked Cheyenne in the eye. "Someday, Jake, Troy and I will be Head-Alphas, just like our parents. And we'll be in their positions. Think about it; they're about to tear out the fur on their tail because of all this. I know when I'm in their positions, I would want my pups to do something productive. Think of it as joining us on our Head-Alpha training! Don't you _want_ to help find your little sister?"

The last part really got to Cheyenne. She clamped her protesting jaws shut.

"Are going yet?" Jake asked, excited to get going.

"We're breaking the rules you know," Cheyenne reminded him.

"That's what makes it exciting," Jake winked at her and wagged his tail.

Hayden made a 'this way' motion with her head. Her forepaw hovered over the invisible border nervously. She took a cautious step over. Her companions were quicker, trying to look braver. "Okay," Hayden sighed. "Let's go." And thus, the four young wolves bounded off into the unknown land.

* * *

><p>Troy, Hayden, Jake, and Cheyenne wandered in an almost completely straight line for a long time. It must've been over an hour of lifeless walking.<p>

"We're getting nowhere!" Troy growled with frustration.

"I know," Jake growled in agreement. "This is supposed to be productive?"

"Oh stop griping you guys," Hayden flashed back. Her and Cheyenne glared at the males in annoyance. "You think I can't see that we've been walking for almost an hour and a half in paranoid silence?"

"Maybe we should split up?" Troy shrugged at his own suggestion.

"Maybe that's what they were waiting for!" Cheyenne breathed in horror. "The moment we all can't hear each others screams, they'll strike!"

"Then we'll compromise," Hayden declared. "We'll go in separate directions, but only go as far until we can still hear each other."

"I like it," Jake nodded.

"Sounds good," Troy agreed.

"Okay," Cheyenne muttered.

The four wolves went off in separate directions. Jake to the northeast, Hayden northwest, Troy southeast, and Cherry southwest.

"Can you still hear me?" Hayden called over her shoulder after taking a few steps away.

"Hear, hear," Jake responded.

"Gotcha!" Troy barked.

"Present," Cheyenne replied.

Hayden started searching for something with her nose close to the ground. After a few tense heartbeats, she checked again. "Can you hear?"

Silence.

"…barely!" she heard Cherry's voice in the distance.

"Okay. This is as far as I should go," Hayden told herself. She began searching the area. There wasn't anything out of the ordinary here though. Some leaves were on the ground. The trees were tall above her. There was two or three bushes. Pretty boring.

"Hayden! Hayden come here! Look at this!"

Hayden pricked her ears and immediately ran after her brother's voice. She slowed to a trot when she saw him.

"Check this out," Jake motioned with his head to something behind him. He walked behind his sister as she approached what he found. She felt the grass beneath her paws slowly fade to sandy dirt. Hayden finally reached what Jake had found. She gasped.

It was an empty lake, not a trace of water anywhere, besides the dark brown walls that must've absorbed it. But what was a real shock was what replaced the water.

Dead wolf bodies littered the lake floor like leaves in the fall forest.

"Oh my gosh!" Hayden panted. "What happened to them?"

"I don't know," Jake stood beside her. "They don't have any claw or teeth marks. Maybe they drowned when the lake was filled up?"

"But why would so many wolves be in the lake if it was flooding?" Hayden wondered.

"Hmm…" Jake studied the peculiar scene with careful thought. "I going in."

"_What_?"

Hayden was too bewildered to react in time to stop him. Jake went around almost the whole perimeter when he reached a pathway leading down into it. He carefully slid down the muddy path and into the throng of wolves. By now, Hayden had some of her senses. "Jake!" she hissed in protest. "Jake get back here! Are you psycho? We're not at home anymore; it could be a trap! Jake get back here! Jakey!"

Jake only ignored his sister's cries as he inspected the wolves. They all looked like someone pressed the pause button on a tornado movie. He made his way to the opposite end when he saw something interesting. "Hey Hayden! Get down here! I found something else!"

"I'm not going down there," Hayden squeaked. "It could be a trap set up by the murderers."

"No, seriously-aw forget it," Jake shook his head and stepped closer. There was a dark gray wolf with a white muzzle and chest at the very end of the lake. His face was pressed against the wall. He was very fluffy and his bright, frozen blue eyes looked determined to do something. Jake noticed his paw was firmly set on a boulder.

_It looks like he was trying to push it…_Jake thought. _But why? What's underneath…?_

Jake put his paw beside the dead wolf's, ready to push the boulder out of the way. He could already see a peek of it had moved out of the way, for there was a dent where it used to lay. Jake stood on his hind legs to put both forepaws on the big boulder. He pushed it. And pushed it a little bit more. It started to move! Jake pushed, almost about to see what was hidden underneath-

"Jake!"

Jake jumped off the boulder with surprise.

Hayden was at the top of the pathway, calling to him. "Jake! Troy found something. I'm going to check it out. We need to stick together."

Hayden started to leave, heading for where they had come from. Jake hesitated, resisting the urge to cure his curiosity as to what was so important, this wolf tried to get to it while dying…

_No. Hayden's right, we need to stick together. _

Jake reluctantly hopped over the dead bodies and ran to catch up with his sister.

Just as he left, his back was turned to the dead wolves, so he didn't notice one of the wolves blinked and sat up, a deep growl escaping its throat as it watched him go with narrowed, yellow-orange eyes.

Jake followed his sister, who was following Troy.

"Look at this," Troy pointed with a paw at what was in front of him. There were bushes, so Hayden used her paw to part them and see.

"A caribou?"

"Not just any caribou. A Jasper Park caribou," Troy announced, hopping over her and walking around the dead, undisturbed carcass. He pressed a white paw to the ear that was facing the sky.

"Look at this. It has a yellow tag. My dad says that when the humans take a caribou and raise it themselves, they mark it with this yellow tag called plastic, so they can find it and see how it's doing."

"Fascinating," Jake tilted his head.

"But why is like that?" Hayden dipped her head to look at the tag closer. That was when Troy finally noticed the tag had teeth marks, like something had tried to take it off.

Before Troy could suggest anything, the shrubs behind him rustled violently before revealing their fourth expedition partner.

"Cheyenne! How did you know we were over here?" Jake asked.

"I wasn't looking," Cheyenne said truthfully. "I was following some tracks in the mud. They looked fresh."

"They might've been mine," Troy said.

"No. Too small. I think they were my sister's-"

"Selena's? Of course!" Jake's eyes gleamed. "She's watching over us; that's why we haven't run in to trouble. And she got into Jasper Park, got this caribou, and saw us coming, so she tried to rip off the tag so we wouldn't suspect it was her!"

"Jake, we need to be logical here," Hayden argued. "That does seem a little far fetch-"

"Shh!" Troy interrupted. His snout was pointed to the moon and his ears were pricked. He stood frozen for a tense silence.

"What is it?" Cheyenne whispered.

"Don't you hear it?" Troy asked, which made the other three wolves prick their ears and look around. Then they did hear it. Small thumping sounds. The undergrowth where Hayden and Jake came from started to rustle. It continued rustling violently. Hayden and Troy jumped in front of Jake and Cherry, growling defensively.

"It might be Selena!" Jake exclaimed, trying to jump over them, but Cheyenne bit his tail and tried to hold him back.

The leaves continued shaking violently before they suddenly stopped.

Silence.

…

_wham!_

Something tall, with antlers, and hooves hovered above the young wolves. Hayden yelped and the four wolves jumped backwards. The new caribou got down on all fours before rearing up again.

Hayden panicked, horrible memories coming back to her. Before they left, the group had come up with a safe word to shout when it was time to retreat home.

"Bedtime! Bedtime-bedtime, bedtime!" Hayden screamed. Her friends were already running in the direction home. Hayden ran hot on their tails.

The caribou snorted and pawed the ground threateningly before turning mournfully and nuzzling it's dead friend.

The four wolves didn't see this and were running fast, thinking the caribou was ready to shish-ca-bob their tails on its antlers. They ran as fast as they could, the wind singing in their ears, hearts pumping, lungs aching from the long run, the urge to pant overwhelming but would only slow them down.

After a few minutes, the four began to tire. Cheyenne looked around and skidded to a halt, recognizing her puphood territory. "We're home! Right back where we began!" she laughed hysterically.

The other three stopped beside her. They were right back at the border. They all panted to catch their breaths and re-gather their thoughts. After a few moments, Hayden's tail wagged and the other three wolves grinned or laughed.

"We did it! We rebelled and lived to tell the tale!" Jake gasped.

"What a rush!" Troy chuckled. "This rebel thing is intense, but…kind of fun afterwards."

The other wolves giggled to show their agreement when suddenly a stranger's voice was heard that chilled them all to the bone.

"I'll say."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Okay, please don't kill me! I know I haven't been responding to any PMs or emails. It's time to be honest, my online life sucks! I haven't even been on my facebook since Christmas! (My aunt must be so pissed!)**

**But, I'm in a good mood. The other day was my birthday! And since I prefer to be a gift giver than receiver, I turned on Friends (which I think is my new favorite comedy show) and defeated writers block! Plus, I wasn't the only one who had a birthday. That's right; my best friend's dog had six puppies! I'm so proud to be a great auntie! **

**Either way, I am back and thus, you're story is here.**

* * *

><p>Hayden slowly turned her head before making the rest of her body whip around. "Papa! I-we-we were just-"<p>

"Save it," the wolf in front of them held up a paw. "I know exactly why you're over here."

"You do?"

"Yes," the adult nodded. "You wanted to give us adults a break, so you came to stand guard yourselves. You forgot where the border was and wandered off a little bit, but as long as you're alright, it's okay."

Hayden exchanged looks with her male companions. Cheyenne, however, stepped forward. "Oh Mr. Hutch, you've figured out our whole scheme!" she exclaimed dramatically. "How immature is it for us to think we could ever do anything secretly? Especially around you?"

Hutch chuckled. "How far did you four go?"

"Only as far as that tree that's so old, you have to tilt your head for it to look straight," Cheyenne lied smoothly.

"Hm. Even I've made it farther outside Jasper Park than that," Hutch replied. "I suppose since it was no big deal this little incident can stay here, agreed?"

Cheyenne didn't even let the others come up with a response. "Great idea. We wouldn't want twisted words to make the story more controversial, right guys?"

Troy and Jake nodded with fake grins of agreement.

"So be it," Hutch dipped his head. "Come now. It's two hours past midnight, but it'll still be hard getting past your mother, Jake and Hayden."

"What about dad?" Jake wondered.

Hutch turned to leave and chuckled again. "Oh that pup could sleep through an asteroid, even if it was killing dinosaurs."

Cherry laughed for Hutch's sake and walked behind him. Troy and Jake followed her admiringly.

"That was amazing!" Jake whispered as they began to slow down to fade out of Hutch's earshot. "How did you pull that one Cherry?"

Cheyenne shrugged nonchalantly. "No big deal. Before Seth's takeover, I was a bit of a rebel. I guess I still have a few tricks in my fur."

Hayden could only watch them walk away. _I got us into this mess, I should've gotten us out! What's happened to Cherry? How is she a hero all of the sudden? I thought she was the one who was supposed to be the weak link on this expedition-_

Hayden took a few paw steps after her friends before she suddenly heard the leaves crunching beside her. She tensed and pricked her ears in their direction. She thought she could hear something whispering to her.

"Who's there?"

"It's me!" the voice became clearer.

"Who?"

"Me!"

"Who's me?"

"You're you, and I'm me."

"What?"

"Hayden just come over here!"

Hayden scurried over towards them. She was surprised to find herself only half-surprised at who is was. "Mitch! You can't be here. Especially at this hour."

"Sorry."

"What do you want?"

Mitch's guilty expression switched to cheerful and his tail wagged and his tongue lolled out. "I wanna talk to you for a second."

* * *

><p>It was dark at night the same night. The moon was a thin sliver, setting of an eerie lighting. There was a small circle of wolves sitting together, with a ghost-white wolf that had jet black paws and yellow-orange eyes sitting in the center.<p>

The wolf facing the center wolf directly was the only one standing up. He was a dark cream, somewhat yellow color with mud-brown eyes and one of his bottom teeth was missing. He snarled furiously and lashed his tail at the center wolf. "Is what you say true, Boulder?" he demanded.

"My eyes don't lie to me," the center wolf replied smoothly.

A wolf diagonal from them growled loudly. It was a ginger female with white paws, tail-tip, and diamond shape between her eyes. "Shall we kill them Heep?"

"Wait Rita," the yellow wolf held up a paw. "Boulder, how old were these pups?"

"Younger than you or me, my friend," Boulder chuckled, but was the only one to do so. "Only a few seasons out of Alpha School."

"What did they look like?

"Siblings I'd guess from their fur patterns. The female was quite small for her age, but awfully bossy. Her brother was very muscular, but he didn't pull off any fancy tricks to get in there. He found the path we use."

"Kill them," declared a reddish wolf with a black patch over his right eye and ear and a black chest.

"Victor!" Rita looked at the wolf to her right.

"They know too much!"

"But they're young and could be of use to us," Rita argued, looking at Heep for support.

A light gray wolf with black spots trailing down his back and one jagged tooth sat to the right of Victor. "The male maybe," he scoffed. "The female we can get rid of. It'll be a compromise."

"I make the decisions here Youssarian!" Heep snarled.

"As do I, right Heep?" asked the female sitting between him and Rita.

"Of course, Sabrina. Anything for my new mate." Heep remained expressionless as he spoke, but at the mention of being mates, Sabrina nuzzled him under his ear.

The bushes behind Rita and Sabrina shook violently and were finally crushed as a mossy-soft-furred black wolf tripped and fell on top of them.

"Desoto. If it isn't our newest member," Heep greeted. "Showing up. _Late_."

"Sorry. It was a little difficult getting away from the others tonight," Desoto claimed.

"Not a good first impression if you ask me," Youssarian mocked, which made him and Victor laugh.

"No matter," Heep dismissed. "Considering the size of our meeting place tonight, you'll just sit in the center. Boulder, return to your place."

Boulder walked over and sat between Youssarian and Heep. Desoto took his spot in the center of the tight circle.

"Now. Where were you?" Desoto asked, trying to look confident. But the other wolves' stares was intimidating and were looking right through him, obviously unimpressed. Only Heep had a mature composure.

"My dear friend, Boulder was visiting the Bowl earlier. He found a few trespassers strolling by in there," Heep answered.

"But how could that be? You've worked so hard to wipe out the packs in this area. The only one left that's close enough is the Jasper Park."

"It's them obviously," Victor declared.

"We don't know that just yet," Heep said with mock sympathy for Desoto. "But I still think we should do something more to that pack to put an end to this."

"The killings are going too slow. We need to speed this up like when it happened the last few times," Rita replied.

"No. Eventually that'll get old. We're doing great here. We can afford to mix it up a little," Heep announced.

"What do you suggest sir?" Boulder asked.

"Simple," Heep shrugged with little care. "We'll do the 'traitorous uncle' routine. Send a spy into that pack to throw them off course. Maybe someone who enjoys the blood spill, so they can get a few quick strikes in there as well."

The other wolves agreed with Heep in a noisy chatter. Except Desoto. "But who will do that sir?"

"Anyone will do."

"But Heep, what about me?" Sabrina looked at him worriedly.

"Of course I mean anyone but you, love."

"With all due respect lovebirds," Rita butted in, feeling slightly disgusted. "That pack is in no position to let in new wolves."

"Well, duh," Heep snapped. "I'm fully aware that who I pick needs to be from the pack originally. Besides, it'll be amusing to let them think they're actually getting better at beating us. Don't think I'm stupid, do you Rita?"

"Sorr-ee," Rita retorted.

"You're in no position to get on my nerve."

Boulder's mouth twitched in the beginning of a snarl as Heep threatened Rita.

"As for the rest of you, meeting adjourned."

The three wolves walked in the direction Desoto had come from. Desoto dipped his head awkwardly and scampered behind them. Sabrina got to her paws and faced the direction opposite of Rita and the others. Heep stood up to follow her, and gave her a teasing lick on her back. Sabrina giggled like a girly-girl and the all of the scheming wolves disappeared into the shadows.

* * *

><p>"I swear, whoever did this, I will rip their teeth out and stab them until they look like a stegosaurus!"<p>

Hayden jumped to her paws and was standing outside of her parents' den all before she had fully opened her eyes. "What's going on?"

Her mother was standing at the below the ledge that was over the opening of the den. "You're grandmother's best friend was just found dead."

Hayden followed her mother to the hunting valley where they found a blue-gray she-wolf laying on her side. Winston and Eve were standing beside the still form, Eve making noises that sounded like a mix between whimpers and growls.

"Felicity…look at what they've done to you! And your family as well?" Eve whined.

"There's more?" Kate was shocked.

"Two of Felicity's pups were dead in her den, and the third we haven't found," Winston explained sadly.

Eve rubbed her nose in Felicity's velvety soft fur and whimpered. "They will _pay_ for this!" Eve snarled, hatred glowing in her eyes.

"Of course Eve," Winston patted his mate's paw. "But for the time being, we need to get this body out of here. It'll scare away the prey that's going to run through here any minute."

"Winston! How could you say that so carelessly? It's Felicity and her pups! Don't they matter to you?"

"Of course Eve, but-"

"And it isn't you who's making the decisions anymore anyway," Eve interrupted. She looked at Kate.

Kate shifted uncomfortably. "Mom…I think dad's right. It's not like a close friend's death is out of the ordinary."

The words made Hayden shudder.

"There's still living wolves in this pack and they need to be fed. The stormy season's coming earlier this year."

"So you choose to just treat this mother and her two pups like they mean nothing? Felicity practically raised your sister while we were with you at Alpha School!"

"And I'm grateful for that, but mom, this isn't out of the ordinary!" Kate repeated. "Now, dad, will you help me move her so the prey can run undisturbed?"

Winston nodded.

Eve watched her mate and older daughter drag her best friend's carcass away. She ran away from them, and within a few minutes, Hayden heard mournful howling.

Hayden couldn't take it anymore. She turned tail and fled. She ran blindly through the foliage and various shrubbery. Once she tripped over a tree root. Before she knew it, Hayden found her paws had carried her to Northern territory. She looked around, wondering what to do now. She didn't want to take care of _another_ dead corpse. Her brother and cousins were all busy, as well as her parents. Her friends had paranoid parents who wouldn't let them out of their dens.

Hayden smiled and trotted forward. She had seen the spot where she and Mitch had talked last night. She lowered her head and sniffed. Their scents were still there. Hayden's tail wagged. She remembered the previous night fondly. It had been surprisingly fun. At first, Mitch had bewildered her by saying he just wanted to talk for no good reason. She didn't know why on earth he would chose her of all wolves, and then, of all hours. But she did have fun messing around and making jokes like a couple of Omegas.

"What were you up to here yesterday?" Hayden jumped as one of her companions from last night showed up from beside her.

"Nothing for you to worry about Cheyenne," Hayden's fur rose defensively and she turned, about to stalk away. Cheyenne followed her.

"Fine. I won't ask again," she said as she bounded forward. "But I want to know something else."

Cheyenne stepped in Hayden's way, making Hayden give a small snarl in annoyance. "What's with you? You've been acting really rude to me today."

Hayden shrugged. "I feel for my grandmother. We should've found more last night; maybe even the killer himself and stop Felicity's death."

"Hey, we panicked," Cherry's paw brushed the side of Hayden's face in a friendly way of comfort. "Are you sure that's it? I saw you last night. Are you upset I saved our pelts?"

Hayden's ear twitched irritably, but she remained calm. "As much as I could've easily gotten out of the situation, you beat me to it, and I don't mind. But I was the one who got us into the situation, so I should've been responsible for getting us out of trouble."

"Well I'm sorry to disappoint you; it just slipped off my tongue," Cheyenne dipped her head apologetically. "I'll try to keep quiet if it happens again tonight."

"Tonight?" Hayden pricked her ears, surprised.

"Yeah. Aren't we going to find more stuff tonight?"

Hayden flattened her ears, confused beyond words. Wasn't Cheyenne the one wolf who regretted last night the most? "Well I would think not. We barely got past our parents last night. We shouldn't push our luck!"

"Oh. Well Troy got along perfect, and my parents are dead, so we thought we'd try to find more clues tonight." Cheyenne thought for a moment. "Wow. I can't believe how excited I am! It's not until you try something new that you love it, right?" she asked as she bounded towards Troy who had appeared in the background.

Hayden watched her go, stunned and confused and just plain thrown off. She shook her head. "No Hayden. They're going to get in trouble for sneaking out. You're smart," she told herself as she began walking towards Rabbit Mountain to practice some Head-Alpha moves she had previously learned. "You are smart. You're doing the right thing."

* * *

><p>The next evening, Hayden was playing around with her friends Cassidy and Miranda in the hunting valley. It was the type of playing that was also a way of huntingfight training. The sun was setting in a lovely display of color by the time her brother came trotting up, along with Troy.

"Hey girls," Troy greeted to catch their attention.

Hayden had pinned down Cassidy (another Garth-patterned wolf with silver and light gray colors) and Miranda (a black and white wolf with black patches over her eyes and over her mouth like she had kissed a black cat) had been preparing to pounce on them from the tall grass. All three she-wolves pricked their ears as the two males approached them.

"Hi Hayden, Miranda, Cassidy," Jake said, winking at Cassidy, who was an Omega wolf who had liked Jake until their friend, Bella, told him. Now, she blushed whenever he teased her for it.

"What do you guys want?" Miranda asked, stepping out of the grass.

"We slept in, but since then, we've been looking for Hayden. We wanted to tell her about last night," Troy answered, feeling quite proud of himself.

"We?" Hayden jumped off her Omega friend. "You went with them Jake?"

"Well, yeah," Jake made it sound as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. "We were supposed to help out mom and dad, remember?"

Hayden flattened her ears, hating how he made her feel like she didn't support her parents.

"What did you two do?" Cassidy rolled onto her paws and trotted alongside Miranda to stand on either side of Hayden.

"Don't tell _anyone_, but we traveled over the Park border to find more clues about the case," Troy said proudly. "Surprisingly, Cherry started taking the lead quite a few times. She was telling us all about how when she and Selena were younger, they'd sneak out and explore all kinds of places they weren't supposed to. In fact, she used those 'rebel days' to give us advice. We even learned how to crawl along the floor without disturbing even a mouse!"

"Whoa!" Hayden's friends both had a gleam in their blue eyes. They rushed forward, pushing Hayden over in the process.

"You actually snuck out?" Cassidy gasped.

"Given everything that's been happening?" Miranda finished for her.

"Yeah, it was a real rush," Jake admitted. "We can even show you the mouse bit if you would like."

"That would be awesome!" Cassidy exclaimed excitedly. Miranda gave a little bounce of eagerness.

"There's a mouse den near Cheyenne's den," Jake reminded Troy. "We can practice on them."

"Great," Miranda's tail wagged. "Then we can learn from the master herself!"

Meanwhile, Hayden stumbled to get back to her paws. "Wait-Troy! Jake!" the two males had already started walking behind Hayden's friends. "What about Head-Alpha training?"

"Oh yeah, tell our dads we'll be late, would you please?" Troy was squinting to see Hayden in front of the setting sun. "Thanks coz!" Troy ran off with Jake and Hayden's friends without noticing her ears droop in disbelief.

"Seriously?" Hayden couldn't believe any of this. She ran after them. "Hey! Wait up!"

"You coming too?" Jake, who was farthest behind asked his sister.

"I don't care," Hayden gasped for breath from sprinting so fast. "I just want to talk to you about something."

"Oh…okay," Jake gestured with his head for Troy and the girls to go on without him.

"Are you guys going back out tonight?"

"Nah. By the time we get to Head-Alpha training and finish, we'll be too tired."

"Then skip it!" Hayden's tail wagged competitively.

"Excuse me?"

"Troy and Cherry have had a lot of excitement for the day. You and me can bring Luna with us to find something!" _See how Troy likes us using _his_ littermate to show off our rebelling skills!_

"I don't know…" Jake flattened his ears. "Cheyenne knows more about sneaking-"

"Hey! We'll have Luna. She met with an enemy wolf in secret for a month, remember?" Hayden reminded him. "We've got this!"

* * *

><p>Two hours later, the Head-Alphas were at the birthplace of log-sledding, waiting for their pups. None showed up.<p>

"What's going on here?" Garth was pacing. "They must be two hours late!"

"I feel as though I've been ditched," Lilly grumbled from where she laid with her head on her paws.

"This is ridiculous," Kate scratched behind her ear.

Humphrey burst out of the bushes, panting. "They've been seen all over the place, but every time I went somewhere, they were somewhere different! I couldn't take it anymore," he gasped, sliding to his belly, his legs sprawled all over the ground.

Garth and Kate groaned.

Lilly sat up straighter. "Garth, I'm getting that feeling again."

"Pregnancy?" Garth's eyes nearly bulged out of his head.

"No! The one where something's going on and they're not telling us."

"I doubt our pups are the only one with something going on behind our backs," Kate said with eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"We need to investigate some more," Lilly sat up, authority feeling strange on her tongue. "Humphrey, keep searching. This time, we'll join you."

"But I can't! I promised dad I'd meet him in his den," Kate protested. "Apparently, there's some new wolf who wants to take refuge in our pack."

* * *

><p>Hayden waited eagerly, her paws scoring the earth with impatience. Jake was going to trick Luna into going over to the Northern border, so that she'd ignore the fact that she was mad at her leader.<p>

The bushes rustled, but it wasn't Jake and Luna. Mitch popped out, a few leaves sticking to his pelt. "Mitch! I'm so glad to see you!"

"Whoa. That's not something I hear too often from a pretty girl," Mitch joked.

Hayden's tail wagged. "I'm about to lead my brother and our friend outside of the Park."

"What? Why?"

"We need to find more clues about the killings. The first time we did, we found this place, and I was hoping you could help us. It's this dried up lake, and it was filled with dead wolves the last time we went."

"How'd you find the Bowl?"

Mitch's expression made Hayden shocked, and slightly scared. The foliage behind her rustled and her brother came out, with a surprised Luna. When Hayden turned to back to Mitch, he had gone.

Jake had managed to blackmail Luna into coming along with them with something only they knew about. Hayden lead the way, immediately heading in the direction of the dry lake. Thunder boomed overhead with the threat of the clouds wanting to spill all the rain they had held since the beginning of this story.

It was perfectly fitting for when they reached the lake. It was literally empty! No water, but no bodies either! But that wasn't the only thing Jake noticed.

"Hey! The boulder!"

"The what?" Luna was thrown off. Along the way, Jake had been filling her in on what was going on. Apparently, he missed one of the most important details.

Jake explained as he headed for the path leading inside. "When the dead wolves were here, there was one who was trying to push the boulder out of the way. I wanted to know what it was."

"So what's it to you now?" Hayden asked.

"It's been pushed farther to the side!" Jake cried happily. Now he'd have an easier time pushing it completely out of the way. "Come help me!"

Now that the dead wolves were gone, Hayden felt less nervous. But she was still cautious as she headed down the path, Luna more hurried to help her cousin.

"Ah!" Hayden tripped and nearly fell off the edge of the pathway.

Luna jumped to catch her tail in her teeth.

Hayden gasped. "Thanks Luna! Even though you're mad at me-"

"Mad?" Luna pulled Hayden back to safety. "I wasn't mad at you! I was so mad at what that other wolf did to Logan, that I didn't want to talk. I was never directly mad at _you_."

"Oh!" Hayden flattened her ears embarrassedly. "Sorry."

"No need," Luna brushed her muzzle against her cousin's comfortingly.

"Hey! Can I have some help yet?" Jake called from below.

Hayden nodded to him and jumped off the edge, pulling off a flip in mid-air to land on her paws. Luna simply slid down. They gathered around the boulder and tried to help Jake push.

Behind them, the same wolf from their first visit, Boulder, emerged from the shadows at the other end of the lake. He eyed the young wolves with narrowed eyes.

The trio was about to completely push the boulder over, when a yelp got their attention. A white wolf with black paws was on his side, yelping and crying.

Hayden and Luna were racing over to his side as soon as they saw him. Jake was disappointed they were just going to ditch his discovery, but he peered into it around the rock, and saw…nothing! Just a hole. He sighed disappointedly and followed the females.

"What happened to you?" Luna asked in a motherly tone.

The new wolf whimpered. "I fell over the edge. My paw really hurts." He laid his left forepaw over his eye.

"We'll get you something for that," Hayden promised. "C'mon Jake!"

She turned to run back to the base of the pathway, but was shocked when her paw completely sank into the ground. She slid it out and shook it. How did the floor get so muddy? Then she looked up and noticed the rain finally starting to fall. It quickly began to pour heavily. "Jake we need to hurry!" Hayden yelled over the thunder. She and Jake ran to the path.

"The lake will fill up!" Luna cried fearfully.

"We'll be fast!" Jake yelled over his shoulder.

Luna whimpered. She turned to the wolf lying on his side behind her. "Don't worry. I'll help keep your head above the water."

"Oh no need," Boulder sat up calmly. Luna was completely taken aback. She was even more astonished when he pounced on her, pinning her to the ground, with her head forced onto her paws. Boulder let out a long howl.

Hayden squeaked. The howl had cued a Victor and a few other wolves we haven't met. Hayden hid her panic. "Oh. Er, would you help us? This wolf broke his paw and-" Hayden was startled. She had looked over her shoulder and saw Boulder pinning Luna to the floor. The rainwater was filling the lake up. It was already to Luna's nose. She was yelping and struggling to keep her head above the rising tides, but Boulder was pushing her down.

While Hayden's back was turned, Victor darted forward and pushed her. She slid down the slide, which was now slippery from the dirt becoming mud. "Kill her!" ordered Heep from the top of the path, triggering a wave of wolves pelting after her and on top of her, biting and clawing.

"Hayden!" Jake yelped, running to help her, but two wolves jumped in his way, snarling threateningly at him. A third came between the two wolves, growling like the thunder that boomed overhead. It was Desoto.

Jake snarled back. He tried to run forward, but he didn't have as much fight training as these adult wolves. He bit into Desoto's leg, but Desoto didn't even yelp. He bit into Jake's scruff and tossed him aside like he was a useless chew toy. Jake had been on the pathway, so he fell off a few feet. He waved his legs to try and pull off a flip, but he hadn't had acrobat training since he was a pup before Alpha School. He fell onto his side clumsily.

Heep flicked his ears, looking at Desoto and then Boulder with narrowed brown eyes.

Boulder and Desoto both nodded and sprang to the center of the lake to attack Hayden. Jake struggled to get to his paws, only to slip in the mud. Once he did get to run towards his littermate, Boulder jumped in his way, and snarled, and snapped at his paws. Jake didn't realize that the enemy wolf was purposely pushing him backwards, up the path. Once in front of Heep, the lead wolf grabbed Jake's scruff and tossed him, slamming Jake's head against a fallen log.

Luna had ran into the crowd of wolves chasing Hayden and joined her in the opposite corner. They were side by side, snarling and clawing at the wolves who tried to get close to them.

"Go opposite ways to throw them off?" Hayden asked her cousin.

"Agreed."

They ran in an X shape into the crowd, fighting the wolves in their way. These wolves weren't as good fighters as the Southern wolves that the duo had fought before the four Jasper Park wolves united. In fact, they fought like complete amateurs. But there were a lot of them, so it was still a struggle.

Hayden suddenly stopped. The water in the lake was reaching her belly. She panicked, her phobia of water haunting her like a ghost. She scrambled to crawl around the attackers and reach the trail leading out. Her attackers waded past her, almost completely trampling her. They joined Heep at the top shaking out there fur as if this were any old swim. Hayden scurried to get to high ground, but the other wolves snapped at her, pushing her back into the lake.

"That's not how the Bowl works, darling!" Desoto snickered. "You stay here and drown. We make sure you don't get out."

Hayden whimpered when she turned her head and realized how high the water was. If she fell back in, it would probably be up to her eyes.

Luna scrambled up the pathway next to Hayden. She hadn't heard Desoto's comment and hurried up to push past the other wolves.

Hayden couldn't believe it. They let her through! Sure, they bit into her ears and made her captive. Jake had regained his composure and was watching from behind the crowd. Victor turned and growled at the young Omega.

Boulder shouldered him roughly. "Not this one. Heep wants him as a recruit."

Jake didn't like the sound of that. "What do you mean recruit?"

"Heep wants you to join us. We're going to overthrow the pathetic packs in Canada, just like we helped the humans get rid of the Idaho wolves."

Jake couldn't believe his ears! These wolves killed the Idaho packs, even when humans were doing so already?

"If you join us, you can have lots more power than your pack offers an Omega like you."

_They don't know who I am! They don't realize that I won't always be an Omega. Wait-how do they even know me?_

Jake heard the sound of his sister's yelping of fear of the water surrounding her. He saw her struggling to jump up the walls and climb out, but she only ended up right back into the lake. He watched her, silently thinking about what Boulder had just told him. Lots more power? What would that mean for him? Would he be able to catch the wolves killing his pack? Would he be good enough for a mate like Selena…?

Jake jumped into the water.

"Jakey!" Hayden squeaked. She hesitated, but then got the nerve to jump in after her littermate. Jake surfaced, coughing for air, only to dive back down and push at the smooth surface he felt with his paws underwater. He resurfaced for air, then dove again. He repeated once more, before Hayden tugged at his ear.

"Jake! What are you doing?"

"Trust me Hayden," Jake told her, meeting her eye line directly. He swam away from her, towards the crowd of wolves. The water was close to completely filling up the lake. He didn't fight the wolves as they grabbed his scruff and pulled him up to dry land with them.

"Luna! Jake, help me!" Hayden wailed. "I can't swim! Please help!"

What she didn't realize was Jake had been pushing the boulder over the hole. Now, there was enough room for the water to drain out (which was what the wolves were going to use to drain it out when Hayden had died).

The attacker wolves turned and slowly began to walk away from Hayden as she slowly drowned, Luna in the center of them. Jake watched his sister struggle, then followed them.

"Jakey! Jake, help!" Hayden panicked as she felt the water carry her downwards. It was overwhelming her nose and her mouth, kicking out oxygen as she was swept into the hole…into darkness.

**I know. Evil cliffhanger. But you must excuse me, for I have a little one to feed (a.k.a., my Chihuahua, Lindsay)**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I know it's been too long to be acceptable. In all honesty, this story has been the last thing on my mind recently. And I started going to a year-round school, so I've been busy longer than everyone else. **

**But if you're still into this story, I know that it starts to get a little 'been there, done that' here (I even make fun of myself for it through Hayden). Just give it a chance, because I did come up with this on my own a long time ago, and I did read other people who tried the idea out. I haven't read one that was finished yet, so I'm going to try it my way. (Shout-out to one of my fans, this isn't meant to be like any scary movie. The scariest movie I've ever been able to stomach is Alfred Hitchcock's **_the Birds_** and the second half of **_Cujo_**). I don't find Cujo scary for some reason.**

**One more thing: I honestly would've had this up sooner, but then I decided to go the extra mile and post this after I had typed a few extra pages, so I could finish and begin posting on a regular schedule (I'm prone to OCD moments like that). However, I got an all of the sudden idea for a plot twist and had to re-do half of what I already started. So, meep :/**

* * *

><p>The moment the strange wolves noticed Jake had chosen to go with them, they shoved the young Omega wolf into the center of them, alongside his cousin, Luna, who was shaking in terror.<p>

Jake noticed that they were approaching some thorn bushes. Youssarian was sitting in front of them. As Heep and the other wolves approached him, he got to his paws and grinned, his jagged tooth showing brightly in the moon's lighting.

"Evening Youssarian," Heep greeted emotionlessly. "I trust all was well under your care while I was gone?"

"No misbehaviors," Youssarian nodded. He turned and grabbed a barbed vine between his teeth and pulled on it, surprising Jake and Luna by the fact that the middle bush easily moved out of the way, completely unattached to the earth below it.

Heep led the wolves through the new opening, Youssarian pulling it back in place before following them.

Jake pricked his ears as he took in his surroundings. This must've been another pack's den area, for there were nests gathered between trees, under rock formations, and even a cleft inside a very big boulder. Beside the opening was a stack of small prey animals that had been killed, and the remains of a caribou carcass was left carelessly in the center of the camp.

The wolves surrounding Jake and Luna separated, leaving in separate directions to get to their own business. Only Heep and Desoto remained with the two Jasper Park wolves.

Heep yawned. "My, my. I'd like the old times when this job was easier to come back from. Desoto, you know what to do with them." Heep gestured to Luna and Jake behind him with his nose before trotting away, to what must've been the biggest tree there and disappeared among it's gnarled roots.

Desoto watched him leave before letting out short barks to call someone over. The wolf he called had been crouching beside a dead rabbit, but quickly bounded over at Desoto's calls.

"Pup. We've got new recruits. Show 'em around for me, cause I'm exhausted from another kill," Desoto ordered before stalking away to a group of what looked like his friends.

The new wolf rolled his eyes at the other wolf's laziness, but blinked warmly at his guests. "Hi guys. I'm Mitch. Come, I shall show you around."

Hayden had never told Luna or Jake about Mitch, so they followed him without question as to why he was there. They simply followed him around the den area.

Mitch started to play tourist guide, "Alright my fellow Omegas. Have you been feeling left out, bullied, and just plain underappreciated?"

"Not really," Luna answered.

"Well, they've made me rehearse this, so I'm going to say what they told me to," Mitch replied. "The neglect is over! Welcome to the Omega clan."

"Clan?" Jake tilted his head.

"In my opinion, they call it that just to be fancy. Anyway, here is where the abused wolves of wolf packs can come to unleash their revenge on those who tormented them. Founded by his highness over there, Heep, who comes from a pack in Idaho."

Jake listened to the theatrical wolf in silence, his head hung low silently. Thoughts were whirling around in his head madly. "Wait-revenge? Do you mean this is the group that's been…?"

"Killing the Jasper wolves?" Mitch halted. "Got that right."

Jake's breath stopped altogether, and he could tell Luna had a similar situation happen as well. They had found the murderers! They were amongst the serial killers behind their friends' murders!

Mitch was about to continue with his tour, but a tawny colored wolf was calling him over. "Sorry to cut this trip short, but I must be going now. If you get lonely, some of your fellow Jasper wolves are over there."

Before padding to see what the tawny wolf was asking, Mitch pointed with his tail to the cleft in the rock with a few mossy nests surrounding it. Jake and Luna were almost too terrified to look. But they did. Jake was ready to fall over and have a heart attack.

There were his pack mates! They were associating with the killers of their own pack! Jake didn't want to even look at them. They were traitors!

And the worst part? He found Selena. She was laying inside the rock, with her front half hanging outside the crevice. She was talking with a fluffy, dark cream-colored wolf he didn't recognize.

Jake had a crush on her. And now all he saw was a traitor.

Luna hissed in his ear. "Jake. Do you think they killed anyone from…?"

Jake didn't answer. Only looked at his cousin hopelessly.

When he didn't speak, Luna did. "Maybe they had a good reason."

Jake growled.

"Jake, we should at least talk to them! They're the only wolves we know here. And the only ones I'm not afraid of…"

Luna didn't stick around for any protests Jake could have. She began walking towards their pack mates, Jake following with heavy paws. He couldn't find words. He could only feel anger pooling from his heart.

Luna yipped to announce their presence. The wolf Selena had been talking to noticed them first. Jake thought that she had rough-and-tough written all over her feisty expression. He was expecting her to just jump them and attack without a word. But instead, she just chuckled. "Looks like we've got a newbie pair. I'm Vitani. This is Selena."

"We've met," Luna said coldly.

Selena didn't respond. She was frozen solid, as if she couldn't believe that Jake and Luna were there. Jake met her stare resentfully.

Vitani noticed them, but got the wrong idea. "I guess I better be going. Mitch just _loves_ my company."

However, when she came up to him, he ran away, Vitani grinning mischievously.

A lighter cream-colored she-wolf came up from behind Luna. "Luna! Jake! So glad to see you're alright."

"Aunt Sweets?" Luna nearly gaped. "What are you doing here?"

"Me and your Uncle Salty can explain. Come," Sweets padded to the other side of the boulder. Luna looked at Jake for support, then followed her uncle's friend. Jake quietly muttered to her that he would join her later.

He made sure no one but Selena was inside the crevice before jumping in. He stalked to the far back of the poorly lit den. He heard the lichen flooring shift as Selena got to her paws and turned around. "Jake…" she whispered. "Jake, I know what you're thinking and it's not true!"

Jake raised his head and snarled at her over his shoulder. "You betrayed your own pack! Wolves have died, and you helped the cause. You weren't even neglected. The Omegas are treated fairly in Jasper!"

"I'm not here because of that!" Selena clawed at the floor in frustration. "Remember Jake, when they kidnapped me, I had just seen Maggie get killed. Not only was I in shock, but I was afraid I would be next. I let them take me because I feared for my life! Just wait; you'll see that half the wolves here only joined because they'd be killed otherwise."

Jake twitched his ear irritably, but knew it was no use. He couldn't even pretend he didn't believe her. He sat up, his hostility replaced by apology. "I'm sorry Sel. I should've let you say that before jumping to conclusions."

Selena's caramel-colored tail wagged slowly. "That's alright." She stepped closer and nuzzled his cheek.

Meanwhile, Luna was getting a similar explanation from her aunt and uncle. However, she was still on edge. But that was only because every few sentences, one wolf would interrupt the other and begin a small argument, so she forgot what they were talking about for half the conversation.

Luna's tail twitched uncomfortably. "Um…Sweets? Salty?" it was the first time she didn't begin with Aunt or Uncle. "Is something going on between you two?"

"I apologize," Salty scoffed as he began to walk away. "Apparently I'm just a useless clump of fur."

Sweets growled at the comment and marched in the opposite direction. Luna looked between them and debated who to go with. She chose Sweets. "What was all that about?"

Sweets grunted. "Salty and I got into a…an argument a few days after our capture."

"What about?"

The answer would be the most shocking violation against pack law Luna had ever heard in her life.

* * *

><p>Kate and Garth were out hunting early the next morning. Humphrey and Lilly were helping some Southern Beta wolves patrol the perimeter of the park. It was just before sunrise. Which means: no one was supposed to be awake without Head-Alpha permission.<p>

Hayden's friend, Cassidy wasn't exactly embracing this concept.

She couldn't exactly be blamed though. Cassidy was secretly bullied because she was different. When she slept, she would have these…dreams. And they wouldn't stop happening until they came true. Sometimes she liked this. Other times she would dream something scary. Recently, she had dreams of a flood and her friends always got caught in it. But the thing with dreams is, you can't remember some of them when you wake up, so she could never remember what had happened that made her so scared.

Also, the Omega was thirsty. And trust me, when you're thirsty, it can keep you up until the crack of dawn.

Cassidy roamed over to the waterfall where Humphrey and friends invented the infamous sport of log-sledding. She dipped her muzzle into the freezing water and lapped up a few mouthfuls. That is, until something smooth and non-water bumped her nose.

Cassidy tensed, standing there in shock. Then she completely flipped out. "AHHH!" she screamed bloody murder and scrambled backwards, tripping over her own bushy tail in the process of doing so.

It didn't help her terror as whatever bumped her began to climb out of the river. Or…dragging itself more likely. Whatever it was, it was muddy, and gross, and soggy, and moaning, and just plain gross. Finally, the beast flopped onto the surface.

"_Zombie!_" Cassidy shrieked. "Please don't eat me! Eat my friends! I know everyone says Miranda has a thick skull, but she's a lot more fluffy!"

The so called 'zombie' struggled to sit up. It shook it's head, causing a few flecks of mud to fly off, revealing bright brown eyes. "Cassidy!"

It ran forward and was trying to hug her, but Cassidy thought the beast was trying to pounce for the kill.

"Ahh! Help! Help! Zombie apocalypse! Shakey was right! Zombies are here!" she cried, struggling to escape the gross thing's grip. After a few heartbeats of struggle, she went limp.

The 'zombie' got off of her. "Cassidy!" it growled, shaking some more mud off of itself. "It's me! Hayden! Cassidy…Cassidy open your eyes."

The Omega had her legs pressed against her eyes. "No. You'll turn me to stone."

"Cassidy, zombies aren't even the monster that does that."

Hayden's friend cautiously slid her paw off of her snout. "Hayden…? Hayden!" She gasped, jumping to sit-up.

"I'm sorry if you expected Old Yeller."

"Who?"

"Never mind. It's an Alpha pup story."

"Oh." Cassidy shook her head. "Anyways, what are you-I mean how did you get in the water? I thought you were scared of it."

"I am. Twice as much now!" Hayden shuddered. "But you won't believe it if I told you. I went on another trip outside the park, and I don't know how, but Jake knew there was this underwater tunnel. Don't ask me how, but we got stuck in this really bad situation and Jake saved my life!"

"My hero!" Cassidy exclaimed dramatically.

"I know right?"

"Well, now what are you going to do?" Cassidy wondered. "Aren't you going to tell your parents?"

"No!" Hayden's eyes nearly bugged out of her head. "I can't tell my mom, of all wolves, about my biggest screw-up yet! I got Jake and Luna dog-napped."

"Oh that's not good," Cassidy flattened her ears.

"Exactly. That, and the fact that I was leading expeditions outside the park during a time like this, she would have my pelt for a rug with or without the dog-napping."

"So what are you supposed to tell Kate?"

"Tell me what?"

Cassidy nearly jumped into the river. "Alpha Kate!"

"Sorry to startle you, Cassidy," Kate apologized as Humphrey came up to stand next to her. "What did you two want to tell me? And does it have something to do with you being up at this hour?"

"Uh…er…" Hayden tried to come up with a believable story as quickly as she could.

"I-I couldn't sleep. And Hayden was thirsty," Cassidy turned to her best friend, who nodded to add a convincing affect. "I came here just aimlessly and Hayden was here and we started talking and we thought…"

"We thought about holding another moonlight howl!" Hayden concluded for her.

"We did?" Cassidy murmured.

"You did?" Hayden's parents said in unison.

"Yeah! I mean, with everything so freaky around here, we should do something fun to calm everybody down. No offense to you dad!" Hayden added. "I agree that log-sledding is tons of fun, but sometimes, your aim gets wolves hurt."

Humphrey tilted his head a few times. "Yeah, got a point there."

Kate looked at her mate. "Hayden's idea isn't half bad."

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking," Humphrey agreed.

"I think we should go through with it Hayden," Kate said to her daughter.

"Great! And one more thing," Hayden put in as her parents were about to turn to walk away. "Would it be absolutely terrible if I invited a wolf outside of Jasper?"

"Outside of Jasper park?" Humphrey pricked his ear and went tense. "Hayden, of course-"

"You can!"

"Kate!"

"Invite your friend. But you know the rules, we have to meet him before you two go anywhere," Kate reminded her pup.

"Of course mom," Hayden dipped her head. "C'mon Cassidy. We should get home before your dad sees you're gone."

The two teen wolves scurried away, the Head-Alpha pair watching them go.

"What was that all about?" Cassidy hissed when they were out of earshot.

"It was true! Things are all tense, everybody deserves to have a load off. And…" Hayden looked around before continuing. "It was the perfect way to distract my parents until I can get Jake and Luna back."

"Get them back?" Cassidy pricked her ears. "How do you say that like it's no big deal?"

"Because it's not. If I can keep stalling the Moonlight Howl, then my parents will be distracted and I'll have plenty of time on how to steal back my brother and Luna."

"Wow. You've got this all figured out. But what about that new wolf thing?"

"The other day, I met a lone wolf who got a new pack, but he says his pack isn't too fond of him. If they kick him out, I want him to feel welcome here. That way, I won't have to worry about the killers catching him."

Meanwhile, Kate and Humphrey were having a scheme of their own.

"What was that all about?" Humphrey demanded at the same time Cassidy had.

"Hayden was right. If we can prove we're still united and remind the pack that we can protect each other because we're a family society, then everyone will calm down a little bit. And…" Kate looked around in a familiar way. "If Hayden brings that newcomer, we can question him. You know, see if he has anything to do with the sudden lone wolves popping up, requesting to join us. I think it has something to do with the murders."

"Wow. I'll never figure out how you can do this stuff like it's no big deal," Humphrey sighed.

* * *

><p>That evening, Hayden excitedly scurried to the border to find Mitch. She kept fantasizing about him asking to join her pack right then and there. Not that it was anything personal or anything…she just…wanted to know she had saved someone's life. Yeah, that's it.<p>

But to her shock, it wasn't Mitch who she ran into. It was her brother!

"Jake!" Hayden hugged her littermate until his eyes bugged out of his head. When she pulled away, she didn't give herself a moment to breathe. "Oh my gosh, Jakey, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you! You saved my life back there! How did you know that tunnel was there? And now that you escaped, you and Luna can save my hide with mom and dad as well! You-are-the-best!" she shook him by the shoulders.

Jake put a paw on her shoulder. "Hayden. Calm down."

After she obeyed, Jake continued, "I can't stay here for long. I'll be missed, and I can't leave my scent for our packmates."

"What?" Hayden's ears drooped. "Why aren't you coming back?"

"I'm finally amongst the killers! They're this huge group of Omegas who want revenge on packs that mistreat them," Jake explained.

Hayden scoffed. "Oh my gosh. How many times have we heard that one before?"

"I don't know. But the thing is Hayden, these guys are some of the best. Their leader came all the way from Idaho, right after he tricked each wolf in his entire pack into getting killed by poachers and other stuff!"

"Oh my!" Hayden took a surprised step back. "And the wolves we can't find?"

"Notice they were all Omegas?"

Hayden gaped.

Jake nodded. "I know. But it's not what you think. Most of the wolves there only stayed because either they have no more pack to go to, or they'll join the hit-list for knowing too much about their plans!"

"Well, why are you staying? You've escaped right now!" Hayden demanded.

"I thought you'd understand. Don't you see? I've found a way to easily pass information to you! Luna, Selena, and I can be your spies until we figure out how to take them down!"

Hayden thought this over, her tail wagging the more she did. "You're right!" she breathed. "Completely reckless, but this just might work out for us!"

Jake nodded bashfully. "Thanks."

"Do you have anything I need to know right now?"

"I've only been there for a few hours, but I do know that you shouldn't trust too many of the Omegas in the pack right now. Selena's friend, Vitani keeps mentioning wolves called 'insights.' They're spies, but I don't know who they are yet."

Hayden nodded, taking the new information in.

"Now I've got to run. Those murderous killers give us curfews you know," her littermate said, already starting to back away into the shadows.

"But wait, I still want to know about-" Too late. Hayden's brother had left. Hayden kneaded the grass under her claws in frustration for a minute. Then she decided she couldn't blame him. Killers were strict, right?

* * *

><p>The den inside one of the Northern Mountains hadn't been touched since a large, grumpy bear had reclaimed it. This was why it was bad for any wolves to be wandering around inside it. Even lone wolves.<p>

There was a strange wolf who was snooping around inside the cave, ignoring the scent of bear that had been growing staler each day.

"I didn't think you still came here."

The wolf jumped and snarled defensively at the sound of another wolf at the cave entrance.

"I was starting to think you'd forgotten this even existed."

The wolf relaxed a bit as he recognized the gray wolf with a lighter gray stripe going up his muzzle and disappearing somewhere atop his head. The gray wolf continued as he took a few steps closer. "I was starting to think you forgot any of us existed."

"I wish," the first wolf retorted. "But if you're so worried, Logan, I don't see why you didn't just come and find me yourself. You're more than welcome to ask how I've been."

"I could've sworn I made it clear that I'd rather eat my own tail than ever see you again," Logan growled.

"Jeez, how long are you going to hold this grudge?"

"Whenever you apologize for ditching me when I needed you most! And for taking the only other friend I had in the world with you!"

"I did nothing wrong," the other wolf insisted, his lip curling in the beginning of a snarl. "And now you're going to demand I get out of your oh-so-special hideout?"

"No. I hope you stay."

The other wolf pricked his ears, not expecting this.

"This place has currently been taken residence of by a huge, territorial bear. Why don't you welcome him home, and I'll send Kiana your ears when he's done thanking you."

The wandering wolf rolled his bright green eyes and let out a short, irritated growl.

"What're you even doing here? You knew we'd treat each other like this," Logan went on.

"I was hoping you wouldn't stop by. You didn't the last time I was here."

"You've come back here before?" Logan narrowed his eyes and his hackles rose defensively.

"Relax Lassie; it was after the bear came back. He was out hunting and I just stopped by."

"Why?"

"What? Is it unnatural for a 'wolf like me' to feel a bit nostalgic for the old days?"

"You had a chance to keep those old days and you blew it. That's not my fault!"

"I didn't say it was!" the other wolf argued. "Look, I told you why I left that night-"

"Yeah, I got it loud and clear. You were being selfish and only concerned for yourself! Then you had to brainwash my only other best friend into leaving with you."

"I was not being selfish! I was doing what was best for her."

"Didn't you think I could do that? I was the Head-Alpha's pup!"

"We were just pups back then Logan-"

"Exactly! I went through way too much for a pup to go through while my best friends in the whole world were vacationing in Montana."

"We had it tough too Logan-"

"Right," Logan rolled his eyes disbelievingly. "I'm sure Idaho is a lot more gruesome than-"

"Great Star of Sirius, Logan, shut up!" the other wolf snapped, lashing his tail. "Gosh, this is just like when we were younger. All you ever see is your own problems. That's why I never reached out to you for help. I figured you wouldn't listen."

"I did listen! You just never stuck around long enough for me to do anything about it."

"And you always interrupted me! And frankly, it is the most irritating thing on this side of the universe. You haven't changed at all Logan. You'll always be nothing but a great, big puppy." The wolf huffed angrily and began to storm out of the cave, roughly shouldering past Logan.

He was almost outside when teeth clamped onto his tail and pulled him back. "Fine, I'm sorry. But listen, someone very important to me disappeared recently and if you find her or see her in any way shape or form, I will do or say whatever you want. It…" Logan sighed and dipped his head, his voice softer now. "It's enough I lost you and Kiana when we were pups. Her name is Luna and-"

Logan stopped when he felt his former friend tense. "You mean the hyper little snowball with the red tail?"

Logan nodded slowly.

The other wolf turned to face him better. "Oh Logan, please tell me this: is she an Omega?"

Logan blinked in confusion. "Well…yeah, but she has some training as Head-Alpha."

"How can she be both?"

"Her parents, along with her mother's sister and that wolf's mate, are the ones who got rid of the Alpha and Omega pairing law."

The wolf blinked, taking in this new information. Finally, he gave a curt nod. "She's fine. So is her cousin, Jake. But they can't come home right now. You'll just have to trust me in the meantime."

Logan took a tentative step back. "But I don't."

The wolf expressed his frustration with an aggressive bark.

"Why can't you just send her home? And Jake while you're at it?" Logan asked innocently.

"Now's not the time to explain. I have to go."

"I've heard that before," Logan sounded somewhat hurt.

"Don't start!" the other wolf scolded. "And whatever you do, do not go out to look for them. The wolves I've been hanging around with lately…they know what you are and don't like it. They have bad histories with Alpha wolves."

Before the conversation could go any further, the wolf whipped around and dashed away like a bullet. Logan watched his form shrink away in the distance, recalling how similar the scene was to a stormy night he experienced a long time ago. "You haven't changed at all either, Mitch."

* * *

><p>Jake yelped with surprise as he landed on his belly, his lower half sliding into a hole in the ground. Luna rushed forward and helped him back onto his feet by grabbing his scruff in her teeth.<p>

"Told you it's been a while since I did that kind of stuff," Jake huffed as his head stopped spinning.

His challenger smirked. "You're telling me."

"You think we're doing really badly at this, don't you?" Luna asked.

Vitani shrugged, relaxing a bit. "Well, we all start out a little rusty. Even I did. Just make sure you do all you're practicing with me, and you'll learn how to latch onto an enemy's throat for ten whole minutes in no time."

"I thought you were just trying to teach us how to leap onto their backs and hold onto the scruff?" Luna said, tilting her head to further show her puzzlement.

"Well yeah, 'cause you're just rookies right now," Vitani scoffed. "Once you're ready for your first killing, that leap and hold thing will be like a pup-game to you."

Jake and Luna flattened their ears and exchanged a nervous glance, earning a snicker from Vitani. "Don't have it in you, do 'ya?"

"We've just never killed our own kind before," Jake confessed. "We might've had to hurt them, but that was purely self-defense."

"That's 'cause you're Omegas!" Vitani said in the closest to sympathetic the rough-and-tumble she-wolf could ever manage. "You're used to stopping the fight, not starting it. But don't worry. Heep will teach you what's best." Vitani let her tongue loll out briefly. "Phew. I'm tired of talking. Time to use my tongue for rabbit tasting!"

And with that, Vitani bounded off to nab a rabbit from one of her friends. Luna's ear twitched. "Okay. I'm officially considering her bipolar." Luna began to walk with her cousin towards their den. "So now that we're done with fighting practice, what're you going to do with Sel tonight?"

"Me and Sel?" Jake questioned. "Luna, please don't say it like that. We are not dating; we're just friends."

Luna scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Ugh. I hate that 'in denial' phase. Just admit you like her already. Oh! And when you do, be sure to mention that I was the one who introduced you two."

"You introduced us?"

"Of course!" Luna's red tail curled over her back like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You wouldn't have become friends if the Jasper Park packs hadn't united, which wouldn't have happened if I hadn't snuck around to hang out with the North/Southern pack's leader's brother."

Jake looked at her skeptically.

"Whatever, everybody already knows you like her anyway," Luna ended the conversation, walking off confident that she knew everything.

Jake rolled his eyes and walked in a different direction. He bit off a piece of caribou that had been lying around and was about to take it into the cleft in the rock, but he saw some wolves already sleeping inside. Close to the entrance was Selena herself. Jake knew that eating in here would wake everyone up with the smell of food.

Jake settled a few paw-steps away to chew on his snack. He pricked his ears to a sound that had become all too familiar.

His Aunt Sweets and Uncle Salty were fighting. He didn't know why. At first, he assumed it was something pointless again. But if that was the case, they would've gotten over it by now. Jake pretended not to be listening so he could have a chance to hear what they were actually saying this time.

"You're my mate Salty! Putting me through something like this is a violation against pack law!"

"Rules were made to be broken. You would know, considering you started this by doing the exact same thing, only first!"

"At least I didn't get pregnant!"

Jake dropped the meat in his mouth. Did that mean what it sounded like? Had one of his father's dearest friends cheat on his own mate?

And gotten her _pregnant_?

Jake raced out of the camp. Tree branches whipped at his face and muzzle, cutting up his snout. Jake skidded to a halt at the invisible border of Jasper Park. He sniffed, trying to catch his sister's scent.

"Jakey?"

Jake whipped his head up, not bothering to hide his disappointment. "Cassidy! I need you to find my sister, no questions asked!"

The silver-furred Omega tilted her head in confusion, but was slowly backing away. She finally turned tail and ran deeper into West Pack territory.

Jake waited anxiously, ducking down into a bush and pressing himself into mud to hide his scent from other wolves passing by.

At last, Hayden popped her head into the bush next to Jake's. "Hayden!" Jake jumped to his paws, making her gasp in surprise.

"Jake? This isn't our usual meeting time. What happened?"

"I overheard Aunt Sweets fighting with Uncle Salty. Apparently they cheated on each other. Who in the pack is pregnant?"

Hayden looked a bit overwhelmed at the sudden news. "Like…five? No, six! Aunt Candy, remember?"

"Hayden! Salty got one of those females pregnant!"

"Holy Chihuahua," Hayden's eyes widened. "And it wasn't Sweets? It's pack law to be mates for life!"

"I know!"

"What'll we do?"

"I don't know. We at least need to know who it was though."

"How'll we know? No one wants to admit they had an affair with a wolf that wasn't their official mate. Or what if it wasn't even in our pack? What if it was another pack's wolf? Or a lone wolf?" Hayden's eyes widened even more (if that's possible). She looked like she was about to start hyperventilating.

"Hay-Hay-Hayden, breathe! Relax Hayden, relax!" Jake ordered.

"We need to tell mom and dad! This has never happened before; they'll know what to do!"

"Hayden, what're you going to tell them? That you found this out from your missing brother who can't be found because he's spying on serial killers?" Jake pointed out.

Hayden flattened her ears. "That's a good point," she sighed.

"I shouldn't have told you this," Jake decided out loud. "There's no point-we need to focus on the murders!"

Hayden breathed heavily. "Right…sure…whatever. Gee…"

"You need to go Hayden. Cassidy saw me, and I doubt you want her to get involved in all this. You need to come up with some excuse."

"Alright. See you tomorrow for the report. Usual time?"

"Of course."

The two siblings nodded and went in opposite directions. However, Jake didn't get very far when someone from the Omega Clan stepped in his way.

"Sabrina-!"

"You're spying on us?"

**Cliffhanger, I know. But now that it's finally finished, I think I can get my motive for the story back and get quicker updates. So thank you for your time my long time, no see friends.**

**P.S. Vitani is **_not_** a crossover character from the Lion King 2. Her name means 'demon of war' in Swahili, and I thought that would be kind of cool/fitting for this character. And if you're wondering what's up with Cassidy, she's one of those dogs that can sense a heart attack or when something bad's about to happen (I got the idea when I found a picture of my old dog that had saved my Grandma's life once). :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Okay, I finally started the next chapter **_**before **_**I posted this one. And lesbi-honest (Pitch Perfect anyone? ;D) it wasn't easy, considering my English teacher thought it was a brilliant idea to put something else on my writing plate: the national Scholastic writing fair. Don't get me wrong, it was fun. I got 50 pages done in less than two weeks. Does that mean I can get some cookies 'n cream ice cream now? (I live in Texas. It's 80 degrees, so it's okay to want ice cream!) **

Jake was tongue-tied. "I-uh-um-"

"You're spying on us…" Sabrina said, more as a statement now.

"I-she-that was a friend of mine. She's an Omega. She wants to join, but she's not absolutely sure, so I'm telling her what it's like in the pack-I mean, clan," Jake lied quickly.

Sabrina looked at him as though he was stupid. "I'm from your pack, Jake. I was friends with your parents. I know that's your sister. Your _Alpha_ sister."

"Sabrina, please don't say anything!" Jake pleaded.

"Why shouldn't I?" the older wolf demanded.

"Think of your pups!" Jake was improvising with all he had. However, he realized he had a good point. Sabrina had her pup as an Alpha, so he was a future Alpha too.

It worked, for Sabrina reeled back.

Jake used his chance to add, "Hayden's not telling anybody, I swear! I'm just…letting her know that I'm okay."

Sabrina narrowed her eyes. "Listen good, pup," she growled. "This isn't me letting you off easily, but…" Sabrina paused, debating whether to continue speaking. "Just…tell Hayden to watch over Hunter."

With a frustrated huff, Sabrina whirled around and bounded away. Jake let out a relieved sigh. She wasn't going to tell. At least…not yet.

Jake let out another sigh, this time, troubled. He had seen in her eyes that this wasn't the end of their conversation about this.

* * *

><p>Being a Head-Alpha wasn't the easiest job. Being Head-Alpha for the Southern Pack was even harder, considering all of their previous leaders were nothing but claws and growls.<p>

With four Head-Alphas and four formerly separated packs, it made sense for each Head-Alpha to focus on one region of Jasper Park's wolf packs. Kate and Garth took care of their birth-packs, Humphrey North, and Lilly was with the Southern Pack, in hopes that her gentle personality would reflect on the rough-and-tumble Southern wolves.

Lilly was walking through the Southern pack's barren territory. The Omega-turned-Alpha claimed she wanted to get a look of the land in order to know where the Southern Pack wolves were coming from. Although, there wasn't much of land to see. In truth, the boringness of it made it easier for her to focus on her thoughts. You could always tell when Lilly had something serious on her mind when she let her fur fall over her eye like she used to wear it all the time.

"Hey Snowball!" a cheerful voice said.

Lilly pricked her ears and turned to see another wolf standing nearby. The wolf bounded over to her excitedly. "Long time, no see," she said, nuzzling the side of Lilly's face.

Lilly returned the gesture by wrapping a paw around the other wolf's neck. "Hey, Kathryn."

Kathryn was a close friend of Lilly's, from the Eastern pack. She was a light gray color, with silver patches. There were even two silver patches over her eyes, looking like eyebrows. Kathryn was pretty much what Lilly would've been like if she had become an Alpha.

"Whatcha' doing over here, Snow-Turtle?" Kathryn asked playfully when they pulled away.

Lilly shrugged, beginning to walk back where Lea had come. "Just trying to relax and get some quiet time," she answered truthfully as one of her dearest friends fell in step beside her.

"Ah. I'm not even going to ask if this whole 'serial killer' stuff has anything to do with that," Kathryn got a mischievous gleam in her gold eyes and good-naturedly shouldered Lilly. "Miss, Head-Alpha of the united Jasper Park pack."

Lilly smiled bashfully, looking at the ground where she was putting her paws.

Kathryn shouldered her again. Lilly returned the gesture this time. Kathryn nudged Lilly with her nose. Lilly giggled and nipped a certain point at the tip of Kathryn's ear.

Kathryn made a sort of yelp/squeaking sound. With a paw over the ear, she looked at her friend, her expression surprised. "Who told you about my tickle spot? Was it Amanda?"

Lilly giggled again and shook her head. "No. Garth told me a long time ago, after I first met you." Since he was supposed to be Head-Alpha since birth, Tony had made sure Garth knew every one of his packmates. Amanda and Kathryn had been some of his good friends.

"Traitor," Kathryn growled with flattened silvery ears.

"Speaking of which, how is Amanda? Has she had her pups yet?"

"I don't know."

Lilly halted for a heartbeat. "You don't know? How could you not know? She's your only sister!"

Kathryn shrugged. "I did keep tabs on her at first. But you know how long she's wanted pups. Now that their finally on their way, she will not let it go! It was getting annoying."

"She's family, and you should always stick beside family," Lilly said.

Kathryn nonchalantly shook out her fur. "Whatever." They walked silently for a while until Kathryn suddenly remembered something. "Hey! Some early snows have fallen in the far north. Want first dibs at some fun?"

Lilly's ears drooped as she looked away. She wanted to let loose, really she did. But she was a Head-Alpha now. Could she afford to divert her attention from responsibility, if only for twenty minutes?

Kathryn looked excited. Lilly really hadn't seen her best friend in a while. And if an Alpha was willing to spare some time to relax, surely a Head-Alpha wasn't much different, right?

"Why not?" Lilly gave in.

Kathryn bounced. "Yay! All the mushy snow is in Northern territory. We can stretch our legs with a race! Here, you'll need both eyes to see the way," Kathryn added, stepping in front of Lilly and brushing the fur out of her eyes. "There we go."

With one or two more joyful bounces, Kathryn took off with Lilly on her tail. Kathryn even brushed Lilly's nose by wagging her tail. Lilly managed to gently nip her tail-tip a few times.

Lilly had always been one of the fastest runners in her pack. But she had to admit, her ability to pull ahead was partially Kathryn's doing. Being an Alpha, Kathryn took every chance she got to pull off some Alpha-school moves. Whenever Lilly would duck under a low tree branch, Kathryn would swing off it. Lilly would slide under logs, but Kathryn gave mighty leaps over them. Lilly ran around big rocks while Kathryn would jump off from them and sometimes do a quick twirl if she was high enough in the air. Lilly would jump over ant piles, and Kathryn…she would do the same (those little guys bite!).

Lilly didn't even bother to try out the basic Alpha moves that she had to learn as Head-Alpha. Kathryn briefly forgot she was any sort of Alpha. "You little Omegas are fast!" she panted loudly. "But not fast enough to be a challenge for-_arf_!"

Lilly laughed as she heard her friend trip over some tree roots. It reminded her of the very last race she had with Kate before her sister left for Alpha school. Instead of tripping, Kate had run straight into a tree trunk.

Lilly could've sworn she felt a heartache pass over her for a quick second at the memory. For a long time, she had believed that the last time her sister had seen them as equals was that day, before Alpha School. Back then, there was a finer line seen between the two ranks.

Alphas were important. Omegas were clowns that could be easily replaced, as long as they knew the same jokes. Heaven knows, Lilly grew up thinking her parents thought about Kate more because she was the future of the pack. Lilly was just an Omega that liked to play with her own tail.

But now that the two ranks were better integrated, Lilly had stopped wondering. She knew her parents loved her. But now that she thought back to those times, she started to think again…_did my parents love Kate more? Did Kate ever think Omegas were worthless? _A thought so painful crept into Lilly's mind, she almost stopped running.

_Did Garth look down on Omegas?_

Garth, Lilly's mate. The wolf she would love forever. What if things had been different? What if he had said no to spending time with a lower class wolf? Would he still have chosen her as a mate, if Kate never knew she loved Humphrey…?

A shower of dead leaves flew over Lilly, jerking her out of her thoughts. "Don't try to slow down for me!" Kathryn said competitively, thinking Lilly had slowed so she could catch up. "I've been cooped up, babysitting my older sister! I need the exercise!"

Lilly let out a spirited growl, grateful for the relief from her stressful thoughts. Garth was her loving mate now, and they had two wonderful pups. That was all that mattered.

The two she-wolves ran through the Park at high speed. They recognized Northern territory when they began to not recognize anything. Lilly and Kathryn hadn't really ventured into the Northern territory since the battle against Seth and his Seth-shippers. They didn't know the landmarks very well.

But it's hard to miss snow!

"Wolf pile!" Kathryn cried, jumping off of a boulder and nose-diving right into a huge pile of fresh snow.

Lilly tried to slide to a stop in front of the mound, but slid too far and lodged herself right into the chilling substance. She popped back out a few moments later, shaking the snow out of her fur (it was hard to tell what was snow and what was fur for her).

Over her shoulder, Lilly saw her friend's head pop out at the top of the snow pile. Kathryn shook out her mane fur. "Whew! That is _cold_!"

"It's fresh snow; what did you expect?" Lilly chuckled.

Kathryn wriggled to get out. Only her upper half managed when she went on. "You know what? We should gather some of the pups together for a game of tag in this stuff! Snow tag is the best there is!"

"Why? We've got the most mischievous pup right here!" Lilly teased, tossing a pawful of snow at her friend's face.

Kathryn gave a playful growl and sprang out of the snow. "I'll get you for that, Snow-Turtle!"

Lilly squealed eagerly as Kathryn began to chase her through the snow that was only ankle-deep. Kathryn kept a sharp eye on her target, for she knew Lilly liked to blend into the snow and jump out from seemingly no where.

Lilly was pulling pretty far ahead. But Kathryn wasn't worried. "You can't escape the greatest Alpha in-"

"_Arrffff!_"

Kathryn was cut off by the yelp. She came to an abrupt stop and gasped in horror. Lilly had fallen through some ice!

"Lilly!" Kathryn cried. She sprinted towards the new hole in the ice. She had assumed Lilly had been running over a frozen lake. But as she approached the hole, she realized it was a sinkhole.

"Lilly!" Kathryn repeated. Her frightened voice bounced off the walls of the hole. Kathryn whimpered. She couldn't see the bottom. "Don't worry Snowball! I'll get help!"

The fearful Alpha stumbled to get to the top of the snow mound, which was the closest thing that was highly elevated. She lifted her head back and let out a distressed howl at the top of her lungs.

* * *

><p>Cheyenne was unaware she was the place where Hayden met up with Mitch. She was sniffing the area suspiciously. Was that Jake's scent she could smell? It seemed fresh….<p>

Cheyenne was starting to pick up a scent of someone else when she suddenly heard the long, distraught howls coming from the far north of her birth-pack's territory. Her hackles rose in alarm, and she raced for the source of the howling.

She ran until she found a clearing that had a mound of new snow, some ice, and something else she couldn't catch because a gray and silver wolf came into the way of her view.

"Thank goodness! Someone's finally here!" Kathryn breathed happily, even though she had only been howling for two minutes at the most. "Lilly fell into a crevasse and hasn't responded when I called for her. I don't know how deep it is or if she's hurt! Can you get some others to help her? I want to stay and see if I can hear from her."

"Oh, of course!" Cheyenne gasped. Her Head-Alpha had fallen into a frozen chasm! Cheyenne whirled around and dashed towards Western territory, where the other Head-Alphas were last seen, praying Lilly wasn't hurt.

* * *

><p>Jake had just returned to the Omega Clan's camp when Vitani slid into view, nearly bumping her nose against his, which surprised him because Vitani usually didn't get excited over anything. "Jakey! You need to head to the Bowl. Heep wants to talk to you in private. He said it was important."<p>

Coming from Vitani, that could mean a number of things. Jake's heart stopped. Had Sabrina told the Omega leader he was a spy?

He spotted the crippled wolf carrying a dead bird towards her and Heep's den. Shouldering past Vitani, Jake stomped up to her. "Did you tell Heep what you saw today?"

Sabrina looked confused, then insulted. She dropped the bird between her forepaws. "Why would I? You threatened my pup, remember?"

Jake flattened his ears. "Well…I didn't _threaten_ him…"

Sabrina picked her bird back up. "Why would you ask, anyways?" she said around the bird.

Jake shrugged. "Somebody must've said something. He wants to talk to me."

"I did."

Jake turned around and gasped in surprise to see Sweets. "But why?"

"Just go and see," Sweets smiled kindly.

Jake was confused. Sure Sweets had gained a shorter temper ever since she and Salty had broken up, but would the cream-colored wolf really rat Jake out without proof?

Nervously, Jake walked out of the camp. Once in the forest, he picked up the pace.

He was scared. Did Heep know he was a spy? Was he going to kill him for training to be Head-Alpha? Should he have said his good-byes to Selena and Luna?

The journey to the Bowl had never seemed so short. Heep was sitting right at the edge. His eyes studied the Bowl as ominous brown slits.

Jake didn't know how to address the intimidating Omega wolf. Should he announce his presence, or wait for Heep to notice him, or what?

"Um…sir?"

Heep twitched an ear in Jake's direction. "Jake."

Jake's eyes darted everywhere, wondering what to say now. "You um…you wanted to talk to me?"

Heep's head turned towards him. Jake flinched under the harsh gaze.

"Talk with _you_?"

Jake swallowed and nodded, fighting to keep from breaking their gaze.

"Why would I speak to a pup, unless he was my own?" Heep hissed, suddenly on his paws and looking angry. "Who told you to come?"

_Who didn't? _Jake almost said. "Er…Vitani."

"The brainless little female," Heep rolled his eyes. Jake noticed the yellowish wolf flex his claws and bare his teeth. Before the younger wolf could process what this meant, he was on the ground with claws digging into the side of his skull and shoulder.

Jake couldn't say he was surprised. Vitani had told him she saw Heep eat another wolf just because real food wasn't nearby at the moment. His need for dominance was what controlled his mind.

But Jake wasn't going to wait and see if this would be his death-day or just a bullying session. He thrashed the lower half of his body, trying to hook a piece of his enemy's flesh with his hind claws. He managed to catch Heep's tail and trip him. Heep huffed as he fell onto his side. Using his large size, Jake managed to push against the older wolf and pinned him down with one paw on his throat. Jake wrapped his jaws around Heep's snout, forcing it shut. Heep kicked, landing a hind paw squarely into Jake's stomach. Jake closed his eyes against the pain and opened them to find himself pinned down.

Heep let out a rumbling noise. It didn't sound like his angry growl. It was more like a…thoughtful hum.

"I haven't seen moves like that since my Alpha brother," the Clan leader mused. He suddenly eased his grip on Jake and let the young Omega get up.

Jake didn't want to admit he was a Head-Alpha in training. He _couldn't_. "I…had an Alpha parent sir. She taught me some of the basic moves." That wasn't necessarily a lie. He _had_ learned some Alpha moves from his mother before the Alpha School season began. That one just wasn't one of them.

"Interesting," Heep nodded slowly. "And yet, she made her son an Omega? How can this be when you're the obvious choice for the more athletic rank?"

How was Jake supposed to answer? He didn't want to tell this wolf a single bit of the truth. He would use the Alpha half of his family against him for sure! But how could he lie? This wolf would see right through him. "I had a sister who was better suited for such things. But you killed her in the Bowl. And my mother was also killed in a stampede."

"Ah. My condolences," Heep didn't sound sincere at all. "I could not wish for you to have to witness your sister's drowning. I could not wish such a fate on anyone's littermate…except my own."

Jake tried not to let that last part get to him.

"So," Heep continued. "What we have here, is a well-muscled Omega, with a few Alpha tricks lodged in his head."

"I…I guess."

"You don't see where this is going?"

"Um-"

"I have a separate group of wolves. A small group, of only my closest and most trusted allies. A…council, if you will."

Jake nodded to prove he was listening.

"Our next meeting is tomorrow night. You are permitted to attend if you're interested in joining. You may take Desoto's place. I never trusted him anyway," Heep shook his head. Was that his attempt at a joke? He sounded pretty serious. "I will need you to be prepared to demonstrate as many of those Alpha moves as you know. The more of our enemy's tactics that we can use against them, the better," he said with a wink.

Jake nodded. "Right…"

Heep's mood suddenly snapped to aggressive. "You must realize that my trust is not easy to gain. But it is also the highest privilege you will ever have. You would be an idiot to abuse it!"

Jake lowered his head and looked away. "Of-of course, sir."

Heep snarled right by Jake's ear. "I am your leader, now treat me as such!"

Jake assumed a submissive posture: his tail went between his legs, his flat against his head, and his body sinking towards the ground as Heep's snarling teeth lurked closer to his face.

Finally, Heep relaxed. "That's better. You may return to the camp now. Can't afford you missing any meals."

Jake nervously nodded in agreement and turned in the direction of the Omega Clan's camp, keeping his body close to the ground in order to please Heep. For extra measure, he felt the other wolf nip the base of his tail so harshly, a small trail of blood slid down his tail.

* * *

><p>"No Humphrey, I am not okay!" Kate was scolding her mate from where they were sitting outside of Eve and Winston's den.<p>

"Kate, it was just a little baby. I'm sure he was more afraid of you than you were of him," Garth tried to assure her and Humphrey made a move to put a comforting forepaw over hers.

Kate snapped her teeth at him. "Don't touch me! That's the same paw you used to get that spider off my tail-"

"Kate! Humphrey! Garth!" The Head-Alphas turned their attention to Miranda, who was breathing heavily with wide eyes at the bottom of the cave. They were all on their paws instantly.

"Miranda? What's happened?" Kate demanded, for she reached the edge first. Given the increasing murders, she could only assume the worst.

Miranda had to catch her breath. Cheyenne slid into view and answered for her. "Head-Alpha Lilly is in danger! She's in the far northern part of the park!"

Garth nearly jumped off from right there, had Humphrey not steered him the more sensible way down. The five wolves raced through the park. It had never seemed like such a long way before. Once in Northern territory, Kate addressed the Northern wolf beside her without looking at her. "Cheyenne, show us where." The cream and gold colored wolf pushed harder to run ahead of the more experienced Alpha and lead the way. Miranda had broken off from the group to search for more wolves that she thought could be of help.

At last, they reached Kathryn.

"What happened?" Kate couldn't hide her surprise to hear Humphrey use a take-charge tone.

"We were running around in the snow and then Lilly went onto some ice and fell. I didn't think there was any danger-I thought it was a frozen solid lake, I swear!"

Garth was about to have a hysterical fit.

"Where is Lilly now?" Humphrey asked.

Kathryn pointed with her nose to the hole a few feet behind her that the others hadn't even noticed. Garth and Kate immediately raced over to it. Humphrey trotted beside Kathryn, asking if she knew if Lilly was hurt or not.

"I don't know. I've been calling to her but I didn't hear any responses," Kathryn's panic was beginning to surface.

Humphrey nuzzled her behind the ear soothingly. "You've done what you could," he assured.

"Lilly! Lilly, are you okay?" Garth was yelling into the edge of the crevasse as Humphrey came up.

"Lilly, can you hear us?" Kate asked worriedly.

After a few heartbeats of intense silence, Humphrey asked something. "Lilly, does this look like turtle road kill?"

Kate and Garth looked at him incredulously until they heard something a few moments later.

"You tell me!"

* * *

><p><strong>Yay Lilly! :D In all honesty, I was getting tired of using my OCs. And Lilly was always my favorite movie character, so I gave her some spotlight. <strong>

**In case I fall under the radar again, Happy Early Holidays!**


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